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This  book  was  presented  by 

Frederick  L.   Wei Iman 


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PODOPHYLLUM    PELTATUM. 


Plate   {.—{Frontispiece.)      Podophyllum  peltatum. 

Fig.  1. — Flowering  stem  and  rhizome,  natural  size. 
Fig.  2. — Pistil  and  stamen,  natural  size. 
Fig.  3.— Fruit,  half  grown. 


MANUAL 


MEDICAL  BOTANY  OF  NORTH  AMERICA 


LAURENCE    JOHNSON,    A.M.,    M.D, 


lECTURER   ON    MEDICAL   BOTANY,    MEDICAL   DEPARTMENT   OF   THE    UNIVERSITY   OF   THE    CITY   OP  NEW 

YORK  :    FELLOW    OF   THE   NF-W   YORK   ACADEMY    OF    MEDICINE,    AND   OF   THE   NEW   YORK  AOAD- 

KMY   OF   SCIENCES  :    MEMBER   OF   THE    COMMITTEE    OF   REVISION    OF   THE    PHARMACOPCEIA 

OF  THE   UNITED   STATES,    MEMBER  OF  THE  TORKEY  BOTANICAL  CLUB,   ETC. 


NEW  YORK 
WILLIAM    WOOD     &    COMPANY 

56  &  58  Lafayette  Place 
1884 


COPYEIGHT,    1884, 

By  WILLIAM  WOOD  &  COMPANY 


PREFACE. 


Foe  many  years  medical  botany  has  had  no  place  in  most  Ameri- 
can medical  schools;  and  no  text-book  on  the  subject  has  issued  from 
the  American  press  during  a  generation. 

As  a  result  of  this  neglect,  I  believe  that  vegetable  materia  medica 
is  taught  at  a  great  disadvantage,  and  often  imperfectly.  Plants  bear 
relations  to  each  other  no  less  definite  than  those  of  the  chemical  com- 
pounds of  inorganic  substances  ;  and  a  knowledge  of  these  relations 
should,  in  my  opinion,  precede  all  attempts  at  classification  of  plants 
as  therapeutic  agents. 

Furthermore,  much  of  the  credulity  evinced  regarding  so-called 
new  remedies  of  vegetable  origin  is  directly  traceable  to  ignorance  of 
plants  in  general,  and  of  their  relations  to  each  other.  Let  the  most 
extravagant  assertions  be  made  concerning  the  therapeutic  activity  of 
any  hitherto  unused  plant — or  of  one  used  and  long-forgotten — and  ex- 
perimenters immediately  busy  themselves  with  it,  no  matter  if  other 
closely  allied  species  are  known  to  be  inert.  And  yet,  the  different 
species  of  a  genus  are  so  closely  related  that  when  one  is  demonstrably 
useless,  as  a  rule,  we  need  not  expect  much  from  the  others. 

As  a  teacher  of  medical  botany  I  have  been  much  embarrassed  by 
the  want  of  a  text-book  suited  to  the  needs  of  American  students — one 
combining  a  brief  sketch  of  general  botany  with  descriptions  of  medi- 
cinal plants — and,  in  this  volume,  have  endeavored  to  supply  that  want. 

In  the  first  part,  or  Elements  of  Botany,  I  have  sketched  the  life- 
history  of  plants  from  germination  to  reproduction,  explaining  the 
technical  terms  commonly  employed  in  botanical  descriptions  and  the 
plan  of  classification  in  general  use  at  the  present  day. 


IV  PREFACE. 

In  the  second  part,  or  Medicinal  Plants  of  Xorth  America,  I  liave 
presented  a  systematic  arrangement  and  description  of  most  of  the 
medicinal  species,  both  indigenous  and  naturalized,  which  grow  upon 
this  continent.  I  have  not,  however,  endeavored  to  make  the  list 
complete,  but  rather  to  exercise  a  judicious  discrimination  in  selecting 
the  most  important.  Yery  many  species  have  been  noticed  merely  to 
condemn  them  ;  still  these  often  serve  a  useful  purpose  as  examples  of 
orders  or  genera. 

Under  the  title,  Characttr  of  the  Ordei\  are  given  the  prominent 
and  characteristic  features  of  the  order  as  a  M-hole ;  and  under  the 
title,  Chai'acter  of  the  Genus,  the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  the 
genus.  In  case  only  a  single  species  of  a  genus  is  described,  the  char- 
acter of  the  latter  is  omitted. 

Following  the  Descrvptio7i  of  a  species  are  its  Hahitat,  or  place  of 
growth,  the  Part  tosed  medicinally,  Constituents,  Prej)arations,  and 
a  brief  account  of  its  Medical  Properties  and  Uses. 

The  words,  United  States  Pharmacojyma,  following  the  names  of 
parts  used,  or  of  preparations,  signify  that  such  parts  or  preparations 
are  official ;  and  official,  throughout  the  M'Ork,  signifies  directed  by  the 
Pharmacopoeia,  the  only  recognized  authority. 

Everywhere  brevity  and  conciseness  have  been  aimed  at,  but  no- 
where more  than  in  the  notes  upon  the  medical  properties  and  uses. 
Plere  I  have  paid  little  attention  to  traditions,  except  when  I  could 
trace  them  to  a  substantial  foundation,  believing  that,  in  such  matters, 
a  judicious  scepticism  is  wiser  than  blind  credulity.  In  general,  I  have 
summarized  the  opinions  of  authors  whom  I  consider  most  reliable, 
and  have  also  drawn  freely  from  the  records  of  my  own  experience 
and  observation. 

In  the  botanical  part  of  the  volume,  I  have  followed  no  author  ex- 
clusively. Among  those  whose  works  I  have  most  frequently  con- 
sulted are  Baillon,  Barton,  Bentham,  Bentley  and  Trimen,  Bigelow^ 
Chapman,  Figuier,  Gray,  Griffith,  Lindley,  Michaux,  Porcher,  Pursh, 
Eafinesque,  Torrey  and  Gray,  and  Woodville.  I  scarcely  need  add 
that  I  have  had  constant  access  to  specimens,  both  recent  and  dried  ;  the 
latter  either  in  my  own  herbarium  or  in  that  of  Columbia  College. 

The  colored  plates  and  a  few  of  the  illustrations  on  wood  are  from 


PREFACE.  V 

my  own  drawings  and  photograplis ;  but  for  most  of  tlie  wood-cuts  I 
am  indebted  to  Baillon  {Histoire  des  Plantes\  Figuier  {Ilistoire  des 
Plantes),  and  Woodville  {Medical  Botany).  Those  of  Clematis  Vir- 
giniana  and  Anemone  jxitens,  var.  jyuttalliana,  were  kindly  placed 
at  my  disposal  by  Professor  J.  U.  and  Mr,  C.  G.  Lloyd  {Drugs  and 
Medicines  of  N^orth  America,  now  in  course  of  publication). 

To  my  friend  Dr.  jST.  L.  Britton,  of  Columbia  College,  I  am  much 
indebted  for  valuable  suggestions,  and  for  affording  me  every  assist- 
ance required  in  consulting  the  extensive  herbarium  of  that  institution  ; 
and  to  my  friends  Dr.  Thomas  F.  Wood,  Wilmington,  N.  C,  and  Dr. 
II.  li.  Rusby,  Detroit,  Mich.,  I  extend  my  thanks  for  recent  specimens 
required  to  illustrate  the  work. 

L.  J. 

323  West  27th  St.  ,  New  York. 
December,  1884. 


CONTENTS 


FAGB 
iNTRODtJCTION 1 

General  Principles  of  Vegetable  Growth  and  Reproduction 2 

The  Root,  4  ;  Functions  of  Roots,  8  ;  The  Stem  and  Branches,  9  ;  Functions 
of  the  Stem  and  Branches,  16  ;  Buds  and  Leaves,  17  ;  Functions  of  the 
Leaves,  24 ;  The  Flower,  25  ;  Functions  of  the  Flower,  38  ;  The  Fruit, 
40  ;  The  Seed,  44  ;  Classification  of  Plants,  46. 

Glossary  or  Dictionary  of  Botanical  Terms 49 

MEDICINAL    PLANTS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 

PH^NOGAMOUS    OR  FLOWERING    PLANTS. 

CLASS  I.— DICOTYLEDONOUS  OR  EXOGENOUS  PLANTS. 

Division  I. — Polypetalous  Exogenous  Plants. 

Eanunculace^ 57 

Clematis — Virgin's-Bower,  58  ;  Anemone — Wind-Flower,  59  ;  Hepatica — Liv- 
erwort, 61  ;  Ranunculus— Crowfoot,  Buttercup,  61  ;  Coptis,  64  ;  Hydras- 
tis, 64  ;  Xanthorhiza,  66  ;  Actsea — Baneberry,  69. 

Magnoliace^ 71 

Magnolia,  71  ;  Liriodendron,  73. 
Menispermace^ 75 

Menispermum — Moonseed,  75. 

Berberidace^ 76 

Berberis — Barberry,  76  ;  Caulophyllum — Blue  Cohosh,  78  ;  Jeffersonia — Twin- 
Leaf,  79  ;  Podophyllum— May-Apple,  80. 

NYMPIIyEACE^ 82 

Nymph.nea — Water-Lily,  83. 

Sarraceniace^: 84 

Sarracenia — Pitcher-Plant,  84. 

Papa-\^race.e 86 

Sanguinaria — Bloodroot,  86  ;  Chelidonium — Celandine,  88. 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

FUMARIACE^ 89 

Dicentra,  89  ;  Fumaria — Fumitory,  90. 

CllUCIPER^ 92 

Nasturtium,  93  ;  Brassica^SinaiDis,  95  ;  Caj^sella,  96. 

VlOLACE^ 97 

Viola— Violet,  98. 

ClSTACE^ 99 

Heliantliemum — Rock  Rose,  100. 

Droseracete  101 

Drosera— Sundew,  101. 

Hypericace^ 102 

Hypericum — St.  John's  Wort,  102. 
Caryophyllace.e 103 

Saponaria— Soapwort,  103  ;  Silene-  Catcli  Fly,  104. 
Malvace^ 104 

Althaea— Marsh-Mallow,  105  ;  Malva— Mallow,  106  ;  Gossypium— Cotton,  107. 
Linages 108 

Linum— Flax,  109. 
Geraniace^ 110 

Geranium,  110  ;  Oxalis— Wood-Sorrel,  114. 
RUTACE/E 115 

Xanthoxylum —Prickly  Ash,  115;  Ptelea -Shrubby  Trefoil,  116. 
Anacardiace^ 117 

Rhus— Sumac,  117. 
Rhamnace^ 122 

Rhamnus — Buckthorn,  122  ;  Ceanotlius — New  Jersey  Tea,  123. 
CELASTRACE.E 124 

Celastrus— Staff  Tree,  124  ;  Euonymus— Spindle  Tree,  125. 
Sapindace.k 126 

^sculus — Horse-Chestnut,  Buckeye,  126. 
POLYCALACE.^    128 

Polygala— Milkwort,  128. 
Legujiinos^ 130 

Papilionacese,  130 ;  Melilotus— Melilot,  130  ;  Psoralea,  131  ;  Robinia— Locust 
Tree,  132  ;  Tephrosia— Hoary  Pea,  133  ;  Baptisia— False  Indigo,  133  ; 
Cassia— Senna,  134. 

Rosacea 135 

Amygdaleae,  135 ;  Prunus— Plum  and  Cherry,  135 ;  Rosaces,  137 ;  Spiraea — 
Meadow-Sweet.  137  ;  Gillenia— Indian  Physic,  138 ;  Agrimonia— Agri- 
mony, 139  ;  Geum — Avens,  140  ;  Potentilla — Cinque-Foil,  140  ;  Rubus — 
Bramble,  141. 

Saxifragace^ 143 

Hydrangeae,  143  ;  Hydrangea,  143  ;  Saxifrageae,  144  ;  Heuchera—Alum-Root, 
144. 

Haaiamelace.e   144 

Hamamelis — Witch-Hazel,  145  ;  Liquidambar— Sweet  Gum  Tree,  146. 


CONTENTS.  IX 


PAGE 

148 


ONAGRACE.E 

Epilobium— Willow  Herb,  148  ;  CEiiothera— Evening  Primrose,  148. 

Umbkllifek^: 149 

Saiiicula— Sanicle,  150 ;  Eryngium— Eryngo,  150  ;  Daucus— Carrot,  151  ;  He- 
racleum— Cow-Parsnip,  152;  Archangelica,  153;  Cicuta — Water-Hemlock, 
513  ;  Conium— Poison  Hemlock,  154. 

Araliace^ 155 

Aralia,  155. 

CORNACE^ 158 

Cornns — Cornel,  Dogwood,  158. 

Division  IT.— Monopetalous  Exogenous  Plants. 

Caprifoliace^ 161 

Diervilla— Bush-Honeysuckle,  102  ;  Triosteum— Feverwort,  162  ;  Sambucus — 
Elder,  1(53  ;  Viburnum — Arrow-wood,  103. 

RUBIACE^E 167 

Galium— Bedstraw,  Cleavers,  107  ;  Ceplialanthus— Button-Bush,  108;  Mitch- 
ella— Partridge-Berry,  108. 
COMPOSIT.«   109 

Liatris— Button  Snakeroot,  170  ;Eupatorium— Thoroughwort,  172  ;  Tussilago— 
Coltsfoot,  173  ;  Erigeron — Fleabane,  174  ;  Solidago — Golden-Bod,  175  ; 
Grindelia,  170  ;  Inula— Elecampane,  177  ;  Ambrosia— Rag-Weed,  178; 
Helianthus— Sunflower,  179  ;  Helenia— Sneeze-Weed,  180;  Maruta— May- 
Weed,  180;  Anthemis— Chamomile,  181;  Achillea— Yarrow,  181  ;  Tan- 
acetum — Tansy,  182  ;  Artemisia— Wormwood,  183;  Gnaphalium — Cud- 
Weed,  183  ;  Erechthites— Fire-Weed,  184;  Senecio— Groundsel,  184; 
Lappa — Burdock,  185  ;  Cichorium— Chicory,  186  ;  Hieracium— Hawk- 
Weed,  187  ;  Nabalus— Rattlesnake-Root,  187  ;  Taraxacum— Dandelion, 
188. 

LOBELIACE/E 188 

Lobelia,  189. 
Ericace/E 190 

Vacciniese- Ericinec-e— Pyrolere— Monotropese,  190  ;  Sub-order  Erieinefe,  191  ; 
Arctostaphylos — Bearberry,  191 ;  Epig;ea — Trailing  Arbutus,  192  ;  Gaul- 
theria — Aromatic  Wintergreen,  192  ;  Andromeda,  193 ;  Oxydendron — 
Sorrel  Tree,  194  ;  Kalmia— American  Laurel,  194  ;  Ledum —Labrador 
Tea,  196  ;  Chimaphila— Pipsissewa,  197. 

Aquipoliace^: 197 

Ilex— Holly,  198. 

Ebenace.e 199 

Diospyros — Persimmon,   199. 

Plumbaginace/e 200 

Statice— Marsh-Rosemary,  200. 

B1GNONIACE.E 201 

Bignonia,  201  ;  Catalpa,  201. 

Orobanciiace/E 202 

Epiphegus— Beech-Drops,  202  ;  Conopholis— Cancer -Root,  203  ;  Aphyllon— 
Naked  Broom-Rape. 


X  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

SCROPHITLARIACE^ 303 

Verbascum — Mullein,   204  ;    Scrophularia — Figwort,    205  ;    Chelone — Turtle- 
Head,  205  ;  Veronica— Speedwell,  205. 
Labiate 207 

Teucriuui— Germander,  207  ;  Mentha— Mint,  207  ;  Lycopus — Water  Hore- 
hound,  209 ;  Cunila — Dittany,  210  ;  Pycnantliemum — Mountain  Mint, 
210  ;  Hedeoma — Mock  Pennyroyal,  211  ;  CoUinsonia— Horse-Balm,  211  ; 
Monarda— Horse- Mint,  212  ;  Nepeta— Catmint,  212  ;  Scutellaria— Skull- 
cap,  213  ;  Marrubium — Horehound,   214  ;    Leonurus — Motherwort,  215. 

CONVOLVULACE.^ 215 

Ipomrea,  215. 

SOLANACE.E 216 

Solanum^Nightshade,  216  ;  Physalis — Ground  Cherry,  217  ;  Hyoscyamus — 
Henbaue,  218  ;  Datura,  219. 
Gentianace^ 220 

Sabbatia — American  Centaury,  221  ;  Frasera— American  Columbo,  221  ;  Gen- 
tiana— Gentian,  222  ;  Menyanthes— Buckbean,  223. 

XOGANIACE^ 224 

Gelsemium — Yellow  Jessamine,  224  ;  Spigelia  -Pinkroot,  227. 

Apocynace^ 228 

asclepiadace^ 229 

Asclepias — Milkweed,  230. 

OLEACE.E 231 

Fraxinus  —  Ash,  231. 

Division  III. — Apetalous  Exogenous  Plants. 

Aristolochiace^ 232 

Asarum— Wild  Ginger,  232  ;  Aristolochia— Birthwort,  233. 
Phytolaccace^ 234 

Phytolacca— Pokeweed,  234. 
Chenopodiace^ 235 

Chenopodium— Goosefoot,  Pigweed,  235. 

POLYGONACE.'E , 236 

Polygonium— Knotweed,  236  ;  Rumex— Dock,  237. 
Laurace^ 238 

Sassafras,  239  ;  Lindera— Spice  Bush,  240. 

EUPHORBIACE^ 240 

Euphorbia— Spurge,  241 ;  Stillingia,  242. 
Urticace^ 243 

Ulmus— Elm,  243  ;  Morus— Mulberry,  244  ;  Urtica— Nettle,  244  ;  Cannabis— 
Hemp,  245  ;  Humulus— Hop,  246. 

JUGLANDACEA 248 

Juglans— Walnut,  248. 

CUPULIFER/E 249 

Quercus— Oak,  249  ;  Castanea— Chestnut,  250. 

Myricace.-e 250 

Myrica — Bayberry,  250  ;  Comptonia— Sweet-Fern,  252. 


CONTENTS.  XI 

PAGE 

Betulace^ 253 

Betula— Birch,  253  ;  Alnus— Alder,  253, 
Salicace^ , 253 

Salix— Willow,  253  ;  Populus— Poplar,  254. 

CONIPERiE 255 

Abietineffl,  25G  ;  Pinus— Pine,  256  ;  Abies— Spruce,  257  ;  Larix— Larch,  259  ; 
Cupressinese,  260 ;  Thuja — Arbor  Vitae,  260  ;  Juniperus — Juniper,  261  ; 
Taxus— Yew,  262. 

CLASS   II.— MONOCOTYLEDONOUS   OR   ENDOGENOUS   PLANTS. 

Arace^ 263 

Arisaema— Indian  Turnip,  263  ;  Symplocarpus — Skunk  Cabbage,  264  ;  Acorus 
—Sweet  Flag,  264. 

Alismace^ 265 

Alisma— Water  Plantain,  265 

Orchidace.e    266 

Corallorhiza — Coral-Root,  266  ;  Cypripedium— Lady's  Slipper,  266. 

H.«m:odorace.« 269 

Aletris— Star-Grass,  269. 

Iridace^ 270 

Iris— Blue  Flag,  270. 

LlLIACExE 272 

Trillium — Three-leaved  Nightshade,  272  ;  Veratrum— False  Hellebore,  273  ; 
Chamajlirium — Devil's  Bit,  274  ;  Convallaria — Lily  of  the  Valley,  275  ; 
Polygonatum— Solomon's  Seal,  275  ;  Erythronium — Dog's-Tooth  Violet, 
276. 


CRYPTOGAMOUS   OR  FLOWERLESS   PLANTS. 

FiiiiCES— Ferns 277 

Polypodium— Polypody,  277  ;  Adiantum— Maidenhair,  277  ;  Pteris— Brake, 
278  ;  Asplenium — Spleenwort,  278  ;  Scolopendrium — Hart's-Tongue,  279  ; 
Aspidium— Shield-Fern,  279  ;  Osmunda— Flowering  Fern,  280. 

Lycopodiace/E 283 

Lycopodium — Club-Moss,  283. 


ELEMENTS  OF  BOTANY 


INTIIODUCTION. 


BoT.\XY  is  the  science  which  treats  of  the  vegetable  kingxlom. 

A  science  so  comprehensive,  inckiding  everything  which  relates  to 
plants,  from  the  life  history  of  those  low  organisms  on  the  border  line 
between  the  animal  and  the  vegetable  world  to  that  of  the  giant  oak  which 
endures  for  centuries,  must  of  necessity  be  divided  for  the  convenience 
of  students.  Accordingly  general  botany  comprises  many  well-recognized 
departments,  one  of  which,  devoted  to  the  history  of  medicinal  plants,  is 
known  as  medical  botany. 

But  medical  botany  is  also  a  comprehensive  science,  for  the  list  of 
plants  possessing  greater  or  less  medicinal  activity  is  long,  and  the  plants 
are,  in  many  instances,  so  remote  and  inaccessible  that  their  study  is 
beset  with  many  difiiculties.  Tiie  obstacles,  however,  in  the  way  of  the 
student  who  would  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  medicinal  plants  of  his 
own  country  are  neither  numerous  nor  formidable.  Especially  is  this  true 
of  the  medical  botany  of  North  America  ;  for  though  this  continent,  with  its 
broad  extent  of  territory,  varied  surface,  and  extremes  of  temperature,  sup- 
ports an  extensive  and  interesting  flora,  the  number  of  medicinal  species  is 
surprisingly  small,  and  these  are  so  distributed  as  to  be  generally  accessible. 

The  medical  botany  of  North  America,  then,  treats  of  all  plants  grow- 
ing on  the  continent  without  cultivation  which  possess,  or  are  supposed 
to  possess,  medicinal  activity.  It  treats  of  them  as  living,  organized 
bodies,  classifying  them  according  to  their  structural  affinities,  and  not  as 
they  are  treated  of  in  the  Materia  Medica,  as  mere  drugs,  arranged  ac- 
cording to  their  real  or  supposed  therapeutic  effects. 

It  will  be  seen,  however,  that  this  classification  of  plants  according  to 
their  structm-al  affinities  may  often  afford  valuable  hints  as  to  the  thera- 
peutic properties  of  allied  species.  As  the  comjiarative  anatomist  and 
physiologist,  knowing  the  structure  and  habits  of  a  single  animal  of  a 
family,  may  deduce  the  habits  of  an  allied  species  whose  structure  only  is 
known,  so  may  the  medical  botanist,  knowing  the  physiological  or  thera- 
peutic effect  of  a  single  species  of  a  genus,  draw  a  reasonable  inference  re- 
garding the  pro^Derties  of  an  allied  species  in  advance  of  experimentation. 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


GENERAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  VEGETABLE  GROWTH 
AND  REPRODUCTION. 

A  knowledge  of  the  general  principles  of  vegetable  life  may  be  acquired 
by  carefully  studying  the  history  of  any  plant,  however  humble,  from  the 
germination  of  its  seed  upward  through  the  various  stages  of  its  develop- 
ment to  the  formation  and  perfection  of  its  fruit. 

Take,  as  a  familiar  and  often-used  illustration,  a  common  garden  bean 
(Fig.  1).     This  seed,  we  know,  is  capable,  under  favorable  circumstances, 


Fig.  1.  Fig.  2.  Fig.  3.  Fig.  4. 

Fig.  1. — A  bean.     Fig.  2. — The  same,  with  seed-coat  removed.     Fig.  3.— The  same,  with  one  seed-leaf  re- 
moved, showing  embryo  leaves.     Fig.  4.— A  bean  after  germination. 

of  developing  into  a  plant  like  its  parent,  though  its  external  appearance 
affords  no  hint  of  such  hidden  possibilities.  Externally  it  is  covered  by  a 
coating  of  horny  hardness,  everywhere  smooth  and  glistening  save  at  one 
point  on  its  slightly  concave  side,  where  it  was  attached  to  the  pod  in 
which  it  grew.  This  point  of  former  attachment  is  marked  by  a  scar, 
termed  the  hilum,  and,  as  will  be  shown  later,  is  strictl}'  analogous  to  the 
umbilical  scar  of  animals. 

Removing  now  this  external  coating,  the  seed  is  seen  to  comprise  two 
similar,  symmetrical  parts,  joined  by  a  small  body  of  like  texture,  which  is 
folded  down  along  their  line  of  apposition  (Fig.  2).  A  more  minute  mi- 
croscropical  and  chemical  examination  would  demonstrate  other  features 
of  interest,  but  foreign  to  our  present  purpose. 

Protected  from  moisture  a  bean  may  be  preserved  for  years  without 
change,  and  giving  no  sign  of  vitality,  but  planted  in  damp  earth  it  speed- 
ily undergoes  changes  which  are  interesting  and  instructive.  As  it  absorbs 
moisture  the  external  coating  is  ruptured,  the  two  parts  of  the  seed  sepa- 
rate along  their  margins,  and  the  small  body  joining  them  elongates 
(Fig.  4).  Moreover,  this  elongation  is  always  in  a  downward  direction, 
whatever  may  be  the  position  of  the  seed  in  the  ground.  There  is,  how- 
ever, growth  upward  at  the  same  time,  and  soon  the  seed  appears  above 


VEGETABLE  GROWTH  AND  EEPRODUCTION". 


ground,  its  two  parts  diverging  and  exhibiting  between  them  a  bud,  which 
develops  a  pair  of  green  leaves  with  an  intervening  bud  (Fig.  5).  This 
bud  develops  other  leaves,  and  so  on,  the  further  upward  growth  of  the 
plant  being  but  a  repetition  of  the  process.  In  the  axils  of  the  leaves 
buds  are  also  developed,  and  these  grow  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  of  the 

main  stem,  so  that  the 
plant  assumes  a  more  or 
less  symmetrical  spread- 
ing appearance. 

Returning  now  to  that 
portion  of  the  seed  which 
elongates  downward,  we 
observe  that  it  branches 
rapidly  as  it  grows,  but  in 


Fig.  5. — A  bean  with  its  first  pair  of  true 
bearing  the  seed-leaves  above  ground 


Fig.  (i.  Fig.  7.  Fig.  8.  Fig.  0. 

Tig.  6  —A  kernel  of  Indian  corn,  showing  the  embryo.     Fig.  7.— The  same,  reverse  side     Fig.  8.— The 
same  after  germination.     Fig.  9. — Indian  corn  with  its  first  leaves. 

an  irregular,  unsymmetrical  manner,  differing  widely  in  this  respect  from 
the  ascending  portion,  whose  branches  are  axillary  and  regular.  We 
note  also  the  absence  of  buds  and  green  color. 

The  downward  growth  of  the  plant  keeps  j)ace,  to  a  certain  extent, 
'with  its  upward  development.  Apart  from  the  physiological  functions  of 
the  roots,  the  mechanic:il  support  which  they  yield  to  the  stem  requires 
that  their  development  should  be  proportionate  to  its  growth. 

Taking  a  kernel  of  Indian  corn  as  another  example,  we  shall  find  that 


4  ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 

it  too  has  an  external  coating  similar  to  that  of  the  bean.  Removing  this, 
the  seed  is  found  composed  of  a  single  body,  marked  on  one  side  by  a 
longitudinal  elevation  (Fig.  6),  instead  of  two  similar  parts  as  in  the  bean. 
Buried  in  the  earth,  a  kernel  of  corn  absorbs  moistvire,  the  little  elevation 
on  its  side  begins  to  elongate  in  an  upward  and  downward  direction  (Fig.  8), 
one  extremity  producing  a  cluster  of  roots,  the  other  leaves  (Fig.  9),  the 
seed  itself  remaining  in  the  ground,  and  not  borne  above  it  as  in  the  case 
of  the  bean. 

Without  tracing  the  history  of  these  plants  further,  enough  has  been 
shown  to  demonstrate  that  a  seed  is  an  embryo  jolant,  as  fully  fitted  for  an 
independent  existence  when  placed  under  proper  circumstances  as  is  the 
infant  mammal  when  it  issues  from  its  mother's  womb.  The  requisite 
circumstances  are  in  the  one  case,  first  of  all,  air  to  breathe,  in  the  other, 
moisture  and  seclusion  from  light.  f 

Having  seen  how  a  plant  starts  on  its  course  of  developmemfrom  the 
seed,  we  will  now  proceed  to  study  the  organs  by  means  of  which  its  various 
functions  are  performed. 

THE  EOOT. 

The  root  of  a  plant  is  its  descending  axis.  In  the  vast  majority  of  in- 
stances it  fixes  the  plant  in  position  and  gives  support  to  the  stem,  but 
not  in  all,  for  there  are  many  aquatic  plants  whose  roots  are  suspended  in 
the  water,  taking  no  hold  upon  the  soil  at  the  bottom.  But  even  here 
they  give  a  certain  amount  of  steadiness  to  the  plant,  and  assist  it  in  main-r 
taining  a  comparative  equilibrium  when  the  surface  of  the  water  is  dis- 
turbed by  waves  or  currents. 

Roots  present  themselves  in  many  difterent  forms,  and  as  these  are 
often  made  use  of  in  botanical  descrii)tions,  it  is  necessary  for  the  student 
to  familiarize  himself  with,  at  least,  the  leading  ones. 

The  simplest  form  of  the  root  is  that  which  grows  directly  downward 
from  the  embryo,  giving  off  but  few  lateral  branches,  and  these  of  com- 
paratively small  size  ;  this  is  known  as  a  tap-root.  The  beet,  turnip 
(Fig.  10),  carrot,  and  radish,  among  herbs,  are  familiar  examples  in  which 
the  tap-root  attains  a  great  development  while  its  lateral  branches  are  in- 
significant. In  many  forest  trees  the  main  root  penetrates  the  earth  to  a 
considerable  depth  before  lateral  branches  of  important  size  are  given  off. 
Such  trees,  however,  never  have  tap-roots  of  as  proportionably  great  size 
as  many  herbaceous  plants,  for  two  reasons  :  plant  food  is  more  abundant 
near  the  surface,  and  the  greater  the  depth  the  more  compact  the  soil  and 
the  more  difficult  for  the  roots  to  penetrate.  Hence  it  occurs  that  most 
forest  trees  which  start  in  life  with  strongly  marked  tajD-roots  have,  at  a 
later  period,  lateral  roots  of  a  greater  size  than  the  main  descending  axis. 

In  very  many  j)lants,  instead  of  a  single  root  growing  downward  from 


THE    ROOT.  5 

the  root-end  of  the  embryo,  there  are  produced  a  cluster  of  roots  at  once, 
as  in  the  Indian  corn  :  such  are  denominated  fascicled  roots.  To  this 
class  belong  the  grasses  and  very  many  herbaceous  plants  whose  rapid 
growth  depends  largely  upon  their  abundant  roots. 

Such  are  the  two  main  forms  of  primary  roots — that  is,  roots  growing 
directly  from  the  seed  ;  but  of  course  they  are  subject  to  many  modifi- 
cations. We  are  to  consider  the  beet,  turnip,  and  carrot,  as  presented  to 
tis  in  cultivation,  only  as  exaggerated  forms  of  tap-roots,  due  chiefly  to 


Fig.  10.— a  turnip— tap-root. 


Fig.  11. — A  dahlia— thickened  fascicled  roots. 


natural  habit  but  largely  also  to  man's  intelligent  propagation.  A  some- 
what similar  exaggeration  of  fascicled  roots  is  seen  in  the  common  dahlia 
(Fig.  11).  This  plant  starts  on  its  course  with  a  fascicle  of  roots  which, 
later  on,  become  thickened  for  some  distance  below  their  junction  with 
the  stem. 

As  will  be  seen  later,  these  various  modifications  of  the  primary  forms 
of  roots  have  an  important  bearing  upon  plant  life,  and,  incidentally, 
often  serve  as  the  storehouses  from  which  are  drawn  valuable  medicinal 
agents. 

In  addition  to  the  primary  roots  growing  from  the  seed,  nature  has  en- 


6 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


dowed  many  plants  with  the  power  of  puttuig  forth  roots  as  occasion  may 
require  from  an}^  part  of  the  stem,  or  even,  in  some  instances,  from  the 
leaves,  thus  giving  them  a  double  hold  on  life  :  such  are  denominated 
secondary  or  adventitious  roots.  The  common  strawberry  of  our 
gardens  will  serve  as  an  illustration  of  one  kind  of  adventitious  roots. 
This  plant  produces  "  runners,"  which  put  forth  roots  at  the  point  where 
they  touch  ground,  then  a  cluster  of  leaves,  and  a  new  plant  is  formed. 
The  stems  of  the  I'unning  blackberry  (Bubus  Canadensis  L.)  often  root  freely 
also,  and  form  a  netting  for  the  feet  of  the  unwary.  Very  many  illustra- 
tions of  plants  endowed  with  this  power  might  be  found  anywhere  about 


Fig.  12. — Common  ivy  (Hedera  ffelix),  with  adventitious  roots. 

US,  but  it  remains  for  the  skilful  gardener  to  develop  it  to  its  fullest  ex- 
tent, as  his  cuttings  of  roses,  geraniums,  and  indeed  of  almost  all  his  rarest 
and  most  beautiful  blooming  plants  abundantly  testify. 

Such  adventitious  roots  are,  however,  true  roots,  which  perform  the 
ordinary  functions  of  such  organs.  There  are  other  adventitious  roots  of 
an  entirely  different  character.  The  stem  of  the  poison  ivy  (Bhiis  Toxicoden- 
dron L.),  when  growing  beside  some  object  to  which  it  can  cling,  puts, 
forth  roots  in  innumerable  numbers  which  do  not  contribute  in  any  de- 
gree whatever  to  the  nourishment  of  the  plant,  but  merely  afford  mechan- 
ical support.     Moreover,  these  roots  appear  to  be  produced  in  response  to 


THE    ROOT.  7 

the  stimulation  of  contact  with  a  supporting  surface,  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  adventitious  (true)  roots  of  the  strawberry  runner  are  called  forth 
by  contact  with  the  damp  earth.  Of  this  kind  of  adventitious  roots  many 
illustrations  might  also  be  adduced  ;  one  more  will  suffice,  the  common 
ivy  (Hedera  Helix  L.)  (Fig.  12). 

Some  plants  jDroduce  a  kind  of  adventitious  roots  by  which  they  attach 
themselves  to  other  herbs  or  shrubs  and  draw  their  nourishment  from 
them.     The  common  dodder  (Fig.  13)  will  serve  as  an  illustration.     The 


Fig.  13.— Dodder  {CusctUa),  parasitic  upon  another  plant. 

seeds  of  this  plant  germinate  in  the  ground  ;  the  stems  grow  until  some 
suitable  support  is  reached,  then  twine  about  it  and  put  forth  a  sort  of 
rootlets  by  means  of  which  nourishment  is  drawn  from  the  supporting 
plant.  Then  direct  communication  with  the  earth  is  cut  off  by  the  death 
of  the  stem  below  the  adventitious  rootlets,  and  the  j^lant  thenceforth  lives 
as  a  true  parasite. 

The  general  structure  of  the  root  does  not  differ  greatly  from  that  of 
the  stem.  In  both  there  is  bark,  woody  tissue,  and  pith,  though  the  last- 
named  is  seldom  very  distinct  in  the  root.  In  their  modes  of  growth 
there  is,  however,  considerable  difference.  As  already  shown,  the  stem 
branches  according  to  a  fixed  and  regular  plan,  and,  as  will  be  seen  later, 
while  still  young  elongates  between  the  branches.  In  the  root,  on  the 
contrary,  bi-anches  issue  irregularly  and  elongation  is  limited  to  the  grow- 
ing extremity.     In  other  words,  a  root  of  a  given  length,  once  laid  in  the 


8  ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 

soil,  never  elongates  by  intercellular  growth,  but  only  increases  its  length 
by  additions  to  its  growing  extremity.  Its  incx-ease  in  diameter  is  accom- 
plished in  the  same  manner  as  that  of  the  stem. 

Without  entering  too  minutely  into  the  structure  of 
the  growing  extremity  of  the  root,  it  is  necessary  to  ob- 
serve that  this  is  made  up  of  a  mass  of  cells  which  mul- 
tiply rapidly  and  are  constantly  building  up  tissue  (Fig.  14) 
in  a  forward  direction.  They  are,  moreover,  endowed  with 
the  power  of  rapid  absorption,  and  are,  in  fact,  the  innu- 
merable mouths  which  feed  the  growing  plant.  In  order  to 
increase  the  absorbing  surface  of  the  roots,  the  younger 
ones  are  provided  with  elongated  cells,  commonly  called 
grovJng  eitrlmS  TOOt-hairs.  Though  of  microscopic  size,  these  are  pro- 
of a  root,  with  root-  duced  in  such  infinite  numbers  as  to  be  of  immense  ser- 
hairs.  Magnified.  ^^^^  ^^  however,  they  are  only  required  during  the  pe- 
riod of  active  growth,  they  are  not  evident  in  autumn  after  the  season's 
work  is  accompUshed. 

FUNCTIONS   OF   ROOTS. 

The  mechanical  functions  of  the  roots  in  supporting  the  stem  have 
already  been  alluded  to.  We  have  now  to  consider  their  other  important 
offices. 

As  animals  feed  upon  plants,  so  plants  feed  upon  minerals.  And  as 
they  are  not  provided  with  organs  for  the  mastication  of  their  food,  they 
must  necessarily  receive  it  in  a  state  of  subdivision  suited  to  their  needs 
and  powers  of  absorption.  In  this  form  they  find  it  in  the  damp  earth 
which  their  roots  penetrate.  Every  rootlet  is  a  seeker  for  food  and  every 
growing  cell  is  hungry.  Water,  with  gases  and  mineral  salts  in  solution, 
is  greedily  sucked  up  and  carried  toward  the  sunlight  for  elaboration. 

Roots  are,  moreover,  endowed,  to  some  extent,  with  the  power  of  se- 
lecting the  proper  nourishment  for  the  plant  which  they  feed,  and  they 
will  take  this  or  nothing.  The  most  careless  farmer  has  learned  that  he 
cannot  successfully  raise  the  same  crop  on  a  field  year  after  year  without 
fertilizers.  The  exi^lanation  is  simple.  Suppose  corn  be  planted  year 
after  year  in  the  same  ground.  The  roots  of  each  succeeding  crop  find 
less  and  less  nourishment,  until  finally  partial  or  complete  starvation  re- 
sults. And  this  occurs,  too,  while  there  may  be  still  plenty  of  food  fit  for 
other  plants. 

Hence  the  rotation  of  crops,  a  principle  at  the  foundation  of  successful 
farming,  depends  upon  the  selective  powers  of  roots. 

But  all  plants  are  not  fixed  in  the  soil  and  do  not  draw  their  nourish- 
ment from  it.  Many  aquatic  plants  float  in  the  water  ;  these  find  their 
proper  food  in  that  element.     Others  are  parasitic  upon  the  stems  or  roots 


STEJr    AND    BRANCHES.  9 

of  other  plants,  their  roots  jjenetratiug  the  bark  and  sucking  up  the  juices 
ah-eady  elaborated  for  their  needs.  To  this  class  belong-  the  beech-di-oj)S 
{Epi-phegus  Virginiana  Barton),  parasitic  upon  the  roots  of  the  beech,  and 
American  mistletoe  {Phoradendvon  flavescens  NuttaU),  a  woody  parasite 
upon  the  branches  of  forest  trees,  common  in  the  Southern  States. 

Still  other  plants  are  mainly  nourished  by  roots  which  hang  in  the  air. 
These,  called  air-plants,  are  almost  exclusively  inhabitants  of  warm,  moist 
regions. 

Another  important  office  of  some  roots  is  to  serve  as  storehouses  of 
nourishment  for  the  future  needs  of  the  plant.  The  great  mass  of  plants 
are  annuals,  living  but  a  single  season,  during  which  they  germinate  from 
the  seed,  attain  their  full  develai^ment,  flower,  produce  fruit,  and  die. 
These  have  no  need  for  a  reserve  store  of  nourishment,  hence  their  roots 
are  fibi'ous  and  not  thickened. 

But  many  plants,  termed  biennials,  germinate  from  the  seed  in 
siDring,  produce  a  cluster  of  radical  leaves,  and  develop  a  very  lai'ge  tap- 
root during  the  first  season.  The  next  spring,  drawing  upon  the  store  of 
nourishment  laid  up  in  the  root,  they  send  up  vigorous  flower-stems,  pro- 
duce seed,  and  die.  Many  such  roots,  as  the  beet,  carrot,  and  turnip,  are 
of  great  importance  as  ai'ticles  of  food. 

Plants  which  endure  for  several  years,  termed  perennials,  not  un- 
frequently  have  roots  of  the  same  character.  These  thickened  roots  in 
many  instances  contain  the  active  medicinal  principles  of  the  plants. 

THE  STEM  AND  BRANCHES. 

We  have  seen  that  the  stem  is  the  ascending  axis  of  a  plant ;  that  it 
grows  upward  toward  the  light  at  the  same  time  that  the  root  is  develop- 
ing in  an  opposite  direction.  We  have  now  to  consider  more  particularly 
its  mode  of  growth  and  some  of  its  more  common  forms. 

In  the  case  of  the  bean  it  was  observed  that  after  the  seed-leaves  came 
a  pair  of  green  leaves  (Fig.  5)  ;  after  these  another  pair,  and  so  on.  The 
points  where  these  leaves  appear  are  termed  nodes  or  joints,  and  the 
spaces  between  them  inter  nodes.  Now,  during  the  earlier  stages  of 
growth  the  internodes  increase  both  longitudinally  and  in  diameter  also 
by  cell-proliferation,  so  that  though  two  nodes  of  a  growing  shoot  may, 
when  their  leaves  first  unfold,  be  quite  close  together,  in  the  end  we  find 
them  separated  by  an  interval  of  perhaps  several  inches.  In  this  particular, 
as  stated  above,  the  growth  of  the  stem  differs  greatly  from  that  of  the 
root. 

Again,  it  was  noted  that  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  were  buds  which  nor- 
mfdly  developed  into  branches  subject  to  the  same  laws  of  growth  as  the 
main  stem.  We  have  now  only  to  suppose  that  these  axillary  buds  keep 
pace  with  the  development  of  the  main  stem,  and  every  opposite-leaved 


10 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


IDlant  would  assume  a  regular,  symmetrical  shape.  But  practically  the 
vast  majority  of  such  plants  are  uusymmetrical,  mainly  because  the  ter- 
minal bud — that  is,  the  bud  terminating  the  main  stem — is  so  much  more 
vigorous  than  the  others,  that  having  the  start  in  the  beginning  it  keeps 
it  and  leaves  the  branches  with  comparatively  little  nourishment.  In  many 
plants  the  growth  of  the  terminal  bud  is  so  vigorous  that  the  axillary  buds 
never  unfold  and  the  stem  remains  always  simple — that  is,  not  branched. 

But  sui^pose  some  accident  destroys  the  terminal  bud :  then  the  ax- 
illary buds,  especially  those  nearest  the  seat  of  the  injury,  are  C|uickened 
into  activity,  and  a  plant  whose  stem  is  naturally  simple  becomes  branched. 


Fig.  15. — Solomon's-seal — a  subterranean  stem  {rhi'some).     Leaf  parallel-veined. 


Again,  some  plants  in  germination  have  not  one  or  two  seed-leaves 
only,  but  a  cluster  of  them  ;  in  these  the  branches  normally  assume  a  ver- 
ticillate  character.  This  is  the  rule  in  the  pine  family  [Coniferce).  Others 
still  which  start  with  their  leaves  in  pairs,  at  a  later  stage  produce  them 
alternately  ;  here  the  branches  are  also  alternate.  And  some  plants  have 
forking  branches,  the  growing  bud  ceasing  activity  at  a  certain  point  and  a 
pair  of  forking  branches  starting  from  the  axils  of  the  last  developed  leaves. 

This  brief  view  of  the  growth  of  the  stem  and  branches  demonstrates 
sufficiently  that  every  plant  in  its  development  obeys  a  fixed  law  of  its 
being.     Yet  from  a  few  pi-imary  forms  arises  endless  diversity  ! 

Many  of  the  forms  of  stems  have  received  distinctive  names,  which  are 
made  use  of  in  botanical  descriptions,  as  simple,  not  branched  ;  erect, 
growing  straight  up;   ascending,  arising  obhquely  ;  twining,  climbing 


STEM    AND    BRANCHES. 


11 


by  twining  about  some  support ;  prostrate,  lying  flat  on  the  ground  ; 
trailing,  running  along  over  the  surface  of  the  ground  or  other  plants,  etc. 
Thus  far  we  have  studied  the  stem  as  it  ordinarily  appears  to  us  above 
ground,  but  there  are  stems  of  vast  importance  which  are  wholly  subter- 
ranean and  ai'e  commonly  spoken  of  as  roots.  That  of  Solomon's-seal 
(Fig.  15)  will  serve  as  an  illustration  of  one  form  of  such  stems.  Placed  just 
beneath  the  surface  in  a  horizontal  position,  it  appears  as  a  thickened,  fleshy, 
root-like  bod}',  bearing  numerous  rootlets,  a  terminal  scaly  bud  at  its 
anterior  extremity,  and  sending  up  a  flower-stem,  behind  which  are  scars 
left  by  the  falling  away  of  previous  ones.  Each  year  a  new  joint  is  added, 
while  commonly  the  oldest  one  rots  away  ;  hence  the  stem  is  slowly,  year  by- 
year,  creeping  forward.     Such  au  underground  stem  is  called  a  rhizome* 


Fig.  16.— Hyacinth  bulb.  FiG.  17.— Vertical  section  of  a  hyacinth  bulb. 

Khizomes  present  many  different  forms.  They  are  simple  or  branched,, 
horizontal  or  ascending,  fleshy,  etc.,  and  are  perennial.  Podophyllum, 
sanguinaria,  and  iris  are  among  our  active  medicinal  plants  which  have 
stems  of  this  character. 

In  general,  rhizomes  contain  the  more  active  principles  of  the  plants,. 
and  in  the  greatest  proportion.  As  such  plants  store  away  a  great  amount 
of  nourishment  in  their  fleshy  stems  for  the  succeeding  year's  needs,  they 
commonly  make  \dgorous  growth  early  in  spring,  and  are  mostly  early 
bloomers. 

Another  common  form  of  subten'anean  stem  is  the  bulb  ;  that  of  tha 
hyacinth  (Fig.  16)  affording  a  good  illustration.    A  vertical  section  (Fig.  17) 


12 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


Fig.  18.— Vertical  section  of  i 


explains  its  character  perfectly.  It  is  made  up  of  fleshy  scales  (reduced 
leaves),  arranged  in  regular  order,  which  gradually  take  on  the  form  of 
true  leaves  toward  the  centre  and  enclose  the  flower-stem.  The  onion 
(Fig.  18)  has  a  similar  structure. 

Bulbs  also  i^resent  themselves  in  diverse  forms,  as  the  scaly  and  fleshy. 
One  form,  which  is  solid  and  of  more  or 
less  homogeneous  structure,  not  made  up 
of  scales,  is  termed  a  corm.  That  of  the 
Indian  tui'nip  (Ariscema  triphyllum  Tor- 
rey)  is  of  this  character. 

Many  of  these    itnderground    stems 
multiply  by  division  or  offshoots.     The 
hyacinth,  for  example,  forms  bulblets  in 
the  axils  of  its  scales,  which  develop  into 
new   plants.      And   many  creeping  rhi- 
zomes send  up  aerial  stems  from  nearly 
every  joint.     It  should  not  be  forgotten, 
however,  that  all  such  plants  grow  from 
the  seed  originally,  in  the  same  manner 
as  those  having  only  aerial  stems. 
The  common  potato  furnishes  a  curious  examj)le  of  a  plant  with  aerial 
and  underground  stems,  both  well  developed  ;  for    the  potato,  termed  a 
tuber,  is  really  a  thickened  portion  of  a  subterranean  stem,  and  each  of 
its  so-called  eyes  a  bud  capable  of  developing  into  a  new  plant. 

Stems,  like  roots,  are  annual,  biennial,  or  ■perennial.  .  Naturally  all  an- 
nual roots  support  only  annual  stems,  but  all  subterranean  stems  send  up 
annual  flowering  stems  and  leaves.  Perennial  jDlants  are  spoken  of  as 
herbaceous,  suffruticose,  or  woody,  according  to  whether  they  have 
annual  stems,  those  that  are  partly  woody  and  do  not  die  entirely  down  to 
the  ground,  or  those  of  wood  sufficiently  vigorous  to  resist  the  winter. 
"Woody  plants  under  about  twenty  feet  in  height  are  cahed  shrubs  ;  when 
of  greater  height  they  are  known  as  trees.  This  distinction  is,  of  course, 
somewhat  arbitrary,  and  a  given  specimen  may  be  spoken  of  as  a  shrub  or 
small  tree. 

In  structure  stems  are  composed  of  bark,  wood,  and  pith  ;  and  the 
manner  in  which  these  three  are  arranged,  with  their  relations  to  each 
other,  serve  as  the  basis  of  the  division  of  flowering  plants  into  two  great 
classes,  namely,  the  exogenous  and  the  endogenous. 

Exogenous  plants  have  their  bark,  wood,  and  pith  each  distinct,  as 
shown  in  the  cross-section  of  the  stem  of  an  oak  (Fig.  19),  in  which  the  cen- 
tral stellate  portion  is  the  pith,  the  external  dark  zone  the  bark,  and  the 
intermediate  part  the  wood.  The  proportions  of  the  three  vary  greatly  in 
different  plants,  but  their  relative  positions  are  always  the  same  in  exogen- 
ous stems. 


STEM    AND    BRANCHES. 


13 


Their  structure  deserves  more  attention  than  we  can  give  in  this  place, 
but  must  receive  at  least  a  jDassing  glance. 

Pith  is  but  an  aggregation  of  thin- walled  cells,  originally  spherical  in 


Fig.  19. — Cross-section  of  the  stem  of  an  oak. 


20.— Cellular  tissue  fpitli).     Magnified. 


Fig.  21.  — Oblique 
section  of  oneyear- 
olJ  sten^i  of  ailanthus. 


Duri 


the 


shape  but  become  pol^-hedral  by  mutual  compression  (Fig.  20).  In  other 
words  it  is  merely  cellular  tissue,  with  feeble  vitality  and  short-lived. 
Though  active  in  the  young  and  growing  shoot,  it  soon  becomes  inert,  and 
not  unfrequently  decays  long  before  the 
plant  reaches  its  term  of  existence.  It 
is  commonly  more  abundant  proportion- 
ately in  herbs  and  suffruticose  plants 
than  in  woody  perennials.  In  some 
rapidly  growing  woody  perennials,  how- 
ever, the  young  stems  have  a  very  large 
proportion  of  pith,  as  seen  in  the  ailan- 
thus (Fig.  21).  As  it  exists  in  most 
exogenous  stems,  it  might  very  properly 
be  viewed  solely  as  a  relic  of  their  in- 
fancy. 

stage  of  its  active  growth,  the  pith  of 
some  j)lants  abounds  in  mucilaginous  principles,  that 
of  the  young  shoots  of  sassafras  being  especially  marked 
in  this  respect,  and  being  considei-ably  used  in  medicine 
on  this  account. 

Wood  also  possesses  a  cellular  structure,  but  the 
cells  are  of  a  different  shape  from  those  of  the  pith,  and 
are  differenth'  arranged.  They  are  commonly  elongate- 
cylindrical,  tapering  at  each  end,  placed  side  by  side, 
and  overlapping  at  the  ends  (Fig.  22)  in  such  manner 
as  to  form  more  or  less  tough,  strong  fibres.  In  early 
youth  they  have  transparent  waUs,  and  thus  permit  the  ready  ingress  and 


Fig.  22.— Wood-cells. 
Magnified. 


14 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


egress  of  liquids  by  osmose.  Later  their  walls  become  thickened  by  the 
deposition  of  cellulose,  etc.,  and  lose  their  transparency.  The  wood-cells 
of  some  plants  are  of  a  characteristic  form,  which  may  serve,  as  in  the 
coniferse,  for  the  identification  of  the  order. 

But  insiDection  of  a  cross-section  of  almost  any  exogenous  stem  will 
show  that  the  woody  tissue  is  not  uniformly  solid  throughout,  but  is  trav- 
€i-sed  by  many  small  canals  (Fig.  23).  In  some  stems,  as  that  of  the  grape- 
Tine,  these  are  so  large  that  one  can  readily  draw  water  through  them  by 
suction  Avith  the  lips.  These  canals  are  called  ducts  or  vessels,  and  are 
formed  from  large  cells  i^laced  end  to  end,  the  cell- walls  at  their  point  of 
contact  afterward  beino'  absoi'bed. 


Fig.  23. — Horizontal  and  vertical  section  of  the  stem  of  a  maple.     Magnified. 


Nor  is  this  all.  A  longitudinal  section  of  many  stems  shows  glistening 
plates  of  tissue  traversing  the  wood  from  tlie  pith  toward  the  bark  ;  these 
plates,  called  medullary  rays,  are  formed,  like  the  pith,  of  cellular  tis- 
sue, and  serve  as  a  means  of  communication  between  the  jDith  and  the  ex- 
ternal growing  surface  of  the  stem  (Fig.  24).  The  medullary  rays  of  oak 
and  sugar-maple  are  highly  developed,  forming  the  so-called  satin  grain  of 
the  wood. 

Inspection  of  a  cross-section  of  any  exogenous  stem  of  a  few  years' 
growth  will  show  that  the  wood  is  made  up  of  concentric  rings 
(Fig.  19).  These  rings  represent  annual  accessions  to  the  wood  previously 
iormed,  each  one  comprising  the  growth  of  a  year.  Each  is  complete  in 
itself,  and,  though  more  or  less  strongly  adherent  to  the  one  which  it  encir- 
cles, evidently  is,  at  the  time  of  its  growth,  the  only  growing  part  of  the  stem. 
Once  formed,  these  rings  afterward  undergo  but  slight  changes  in  char- 
acter, and  never  any  in  volume.  As  years  pass  by  they  become  more  dense, 
and  generally  more  or  less  deeply  colored  by  the  deposition  of  coloring 
anatters.     Hence,  after  a  few  3'^ears'  growth  most  exogenous  stems  present 


STEM    AND    BRANCHES. 


15 


in  cross-section  a  central  coloi'ed  portion,  termed  heart-wood  or  duramen, 
surrounded  by  a  lighter  zone  of  sap-wood  or  alburnum,  the  latter  de- 
riving its  name  from  the  fact  that  the  sap  still  circulates  through  it,  while 
the  former  no  longer  possesses  vital  activity,  and  like  the  pith  may,  and 
often  does,  decay  without  impairing  the  vigor  of  the  plant. 

From  the  foregoing  it  becomes  evident  that  the  proliferation  of  wood- 
cells  is  only  to  be  found  in  progress  upon  the  outside  of  the  wood  already 
formed,  just  underneath  the  bark.  As  aggregated  here,  these  young  grow- 
ing cells  form  what  is  termed  the  cambium  layer.  This  layer  is  com- 
monly of  a  mucilaginous  character,  and  during  the  period  of  its  greatest 
activity  permits  the  bark  to  be  readily  separated  from  the  stem. 


N  V 


Fig.  24.— Vertical  section  of  the  stem  of  a  maple,  showing  the  medullary  rays.     Magnified, 


The  bark  is  the  protective  covering  of  the  stem.  At  first  composed, 
like  the  pith,  wholly  of  cellular  tissue,  it  later  develojDS  wood-cells,  par- 
ticularly on  its  inner  surface,  and  is  divisible  into  an  inner  and  an  outer 
layer.  The  inner  bark  is  commonly  composed  of  long  wood-cells,  termed 
bast-cells,  united  into  fibres  often  of  great  strength  and  toughness,  as 
in  fla.\  and  hemp.  The  outer  bark  is  composed  largely  of  cellular  tissue, 
and  presents  two  layers,  the  inner  green,  the  outer  corky  ;  the  latter 
being  covered  when  young  with  a  delicate  epidermis.  Like  the  wood  which 
it  covers,  the  bark  increases  in  thickness  each  year,  but  in  a  reverse 
manner.  That  is  to  say,  while  the  wood  increases  by  growth  upon  its 
outer  surface,  the  bark  thickens  by  deposition  of  new  material  upon  its 
inner  side  ;  and  while  the  wood  is  continually  dying  from  within  out- 
ward, the  bark  is  as  constantly  dying  and  exfoliating  from  without  in- 
ward. Moreover,  as  the  stem  increases  in  size  the  outer  bark,  bein^;  only 
moderately  elastic,  is  split  and  broken,  and  commonly  assumes  a  rugose 
appearance.  In  young  and  very  vigorous  trees  not  unfrequently  the  wood 
grows  so  rapidly  that  the  bark  cannot  keep  pace  with  it,  and  is  conse- 
quently split  down  to  the  fibrous  layer,  or  even  in  some  instances  to  the 
wood  itself. 


IG 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


In  annual  exogenous  i^lants,  thougli  the  relative  positions  of  the  bark, 
wood,  and  pith  are  the  same  as  described  above,  the  pith  is  relatively  large, 
the  woody  tissue  is  arranged  with  less  uniformity,  often  in  wedge-shaped 
bundles,  and  the  bark  has  no  distinctly  corky  layer. 

Endogenous  plants  have  no  central  mass  of  pith  entirely  free  from 
woody  fibres,  no  concentric  rings  of  wood,  and  no  separable  bark.     Their 

wood  is  in  bundles  or  fibres  inter- 
mingled with  the  cellular  tissue, 
and  new  bundles  are  continually 
being  formed  in  the  midst  of  the 
old  during  the  period  of  growth. 
Toward  the  external  surface  of 
the  stem  the  wood  becomes  con- 
densed and  hard,  and  serves,  in- 
stead of  bark,  as  a  protective  cov- 
ering to  the  more  tender  parts 
within  (Fig.  25). 

Take,  as  an  illustration  famil- 
iar to  all,  a  stalk  of  Indian  corn, 
and  view  it  iu  both  longitudinal 
and  cross-section.  There  will  ap- 
j)ear  an  abundance  of  cellular  tissue  (pith),  but  with  numerous  strong 
woody  fibres  interspersed ;  and  though  it  ajopears  to  be  covered  with  bark, 
this  cannot  be  sej)arated  as  in  the  case  of  an  exogenous  plant,  since  it  is 
only  condensed  woody  tissue  and  shades  off  gradually  into  the  less  com- 
l^act  structure  within. 

Endogenous  plants  very  commonly  have  simple  stems,  though  branch- 
ing ones  are  not  unusual.  In  temperate  regions  they  are  chiefly  small 
j)lants— the  grasses,  sedges,  and  cat-tails  are  familiar  examples — but  from 
their  immense  number  form  a  very  important  part  of  the  vegetation.  In 
the  tropics  many  of  them,  chiefly  palms,  attain  the  stature  of  tall  trees. 


Fig.  25.— Cross-sectiou  of  the  stem  of  a  palm.  The 
outer  circle  is  conden.sed  woody  tissue ;  within,  the 
dots  represent  bundles  of  woody  ti.ssue  imbedded  in  pith. 


FUNCTIONS  OF   THE   STEM   AND   BRANCHES. 


The  most  important  function  of  the  stem  and  branches  is  to  serve  as  a 
means  of  communication  between  the  roots,  leaves,  and  reproductive  or- 
gans, for  to  this  one  function  all  others  are  subsidiary. 

We  may  safely  assume  that  a  plant's  whole  energies  are  bent  toward  the 
reproduction  of  its  species.  When  this  is  accomplished  the  annual  and 
the  biennial  die  ;  the  perennial  goes  a  step  farther  and  j^rejoares  for  a 
repetition  of  the  process  the  next  j'ear,  and  then  it  ceases  labor  for  the 
season. 

The  stem  and  branches,  then,  supply  the  channels  by  which  the  nour- 
ishment collected  by  the  roots  is  transmitted  to  the  leaves  for  elaboration 


BUDS    AND    LEAVES.  17 

and  to  the  reproductive  organs  for  their  needs,  receiving  back  merely 
what  is  required  for  their  sustenance  and  growth. 

BUDS   AND   LEAVES. 

We  have  ah-eady  seen  how  the  stem  and  branches  elongate  by  the  un- 
folding-of  the  bud,  the  expansion  of  leaves,  and  the  lengthening  of  the 
spaces  between  the  latter,  and  have  noted  that  the  bud  exists  in  the  em- 
bryo. From  this  time  forward  it  always  is  the  growing  point  of  the  plant. 
Examined  in  vertical  section,  it  is  shown  to  be  a  collection  of  embry- 
onic leaves,  diminishing  in  size  from  without  inward.  In  the  growing 
season  the  bud  is  green  like  the  expanded  leaves,  though  of  a  more  tender 
shade,  but  as  the  end  of  the  season  approaches  the  outer  leaflets  undergo 
more  or  less  change,  including  both  color  and  texture,  and  are  not  uufre- 
quently  coated  with  resinous  or  gummy  matters  to  protect  them  against 
cold  and  moistui-e  during  the  period  of  the  plant's  rest.  Such  altered 
'leaflets  are  termed  scales. 

We  have  already  seen  how  leaves  are  produced.  We  will  now  consider 
their  structure,  varied  forms,  and  functions. 

Leaves,  like  stems,  consist  of  woody  and  cellular  tissue,  the  former  col- 
lected in  bundles  or  fibres  which  form  a  skeleton  whose  interstices  are 
filled  up  with  the  latter. 

Upon  the  form  of  the  skeleton,  of  course,  depends  the  shape  and  gen- 
eral character  of  the  leaf. 

The  larger  and  more  prominent  fibres  of  the  skeleton  are  termed 
veins,  the  smaller  ones  veinlets.  In  leaves  having  a  large  central  vein, 
with  less  i:)romiueut  lateral  branches,  the  central  one  is  termed  the  mid- 
vein  or  mid-rib.  Indeed,  in  botanical  descriptions  the  prominent  fibres 
of  the  leaf-skeleton  are  spoken  of  as  veins,  ribs,  or  nerves  indiscrimi- 
nately, as  for  example,  a  leaf  is  feather-veined,  dromjly  ribbed,  or  friple- 
nerced.  Little  confusion,  however,  need  arise  from  this  misuse  of  terms  if 
the  student  but  remember  that  though  these  fibres  bear  some  analogy  to 
veins  and  ribs,  they  bear  none  whatever  to  nerves. 

A  leaf  may  commonly  be  distinguished  into  two  parts  :  an  expanded 
portion,  termed  the  lamina  or  blade,  and  a  stalk  by  which  this  is  at- 
tached to  the  stem,  tei-med  the  petiole  or  footstalk.  In  case  there  be 
no  petiole,  the  blade  being  attached  directly  to  the  stem,  the  leaf  is  said 
to  be  sessile. 

Through  the  petiole,  if  there  be  one,  or,  in  its  absence,  directly  intO' 
the  base  of  the  blade,  pass  the  woody  fibres  whose  ramifications  make  up. 
the  leaf-skeleton.  The  manner  in  which  the  veins  ramify  is  termed  the 
venation  of  the  leaf. 

In  endogenous  plants  these  fibres  commonly  divide  at  or  near  the  base 
of  the  blade  into  a  number  of  nearly  equal  branches,  which  pm-sue  a  paral- 


18 


ELEMEJ^TS    OF    BOTANY. 


lei  or  slightly  divergent  course  toward  tlie  margin  or  apex  (Fig.  15).  Such 
leaves  are  termed  parallel-veined  ;  and  here  is  found  one  of  the  distinc- 
tions between  endogenous  and  exogenous  plants. 

In  exogenous  plants  the  venation  is  extremely  varied  and  gives  rise  to 
many  different  forms.     In  one  particular,  however,  there  is  uniformity  : 


Fig.  26.— Simple,  pinnatcly  veined  leaf  of  chestnut.     Margin  serrate. 

the  ultimate  ramifications  of  the  veins  produce  a  net-work ;  hence  such 
leaves  are  termed  net-veined,  and  are  thereby  distinguished  from  the 
parallel-veined  leaves  of  endogenous  plants. 

One  of  the  commonest  forms  of  exogenous  leaves  is  that  in  which  the 
mid-vein  pursues  a  direct  course  from  the  base  to  the  apex,  gi^'ing  off,  at 
regular  intervals,  lateral  branches  which  extend  parallel  with  each  other 
to  the  margin.  Such  leaves  are  denominated  pinnately  or  feather- 
veined.  The  leaves  of  the  beech  and  chestnut  (Fig.  26)  are  famihar  ex- 
amples of  this  form. 


Fig.  27.— Simple,  palmately  veined  leaf  of  castor-oil  plant  (Eicimis  communis). 

Another  common  form  of  net-veined  leaves  is  that  in  which  there  is  no 
■strongly  marked  mid-vein,  but  instead  a  number  of  large  veins  pursue  a 
divergent  course  from  the  base  to  the  mai-gin  of  the  leaf.  There  may  be 
three,  four,  seven,  or  nine  of  these  veins,  diverging  like  the  fingers  of  an 


BUDS    AND    LEAVES. 


19 


outstretched  hand  or  the  toes  of  a  bird  ;  hence  such  leaves  are  said  to  be 
palmately,  digitately,  or  pedately  veined.  The  leaves  of  the  maple, 
sycamore,  and  castor-oil  plant  (Fig.  27)  will  serve  as  illustrations. 

Between  these  two  widely  different  forms  of  venation  in  exogenous 
plants  are  other  connecting  ones,  as  when  a  leaf  has  both  a  mid-vein  with 
more  or  less  strongly  marked  lateral  branches  and  large  diverging,  palmate 
branches  also. 

Again,  upon  the  venation  of  leaves  depends,  to  a  very  great  extent,  their 
marginal  shape.  In  parallel-veined  leaves  the  margin  is  commonly  entire 
— that  is,  not  notched  or  indented ;  the  common  grasses,  cat-tails,  and 
iris  are  familiar  examples.     In  very  many  feather-veined  leaves  the  margin 


Tig.  2S.— Marginal  shapes  of  leaves.     Beginning  at  the  right,  the  first  is  serrate,  second  dentate,  third  be- 
tween dentate  and  crenate,  fourth  crenato,  fifth  sinuate-toothed,  sixth  sinuate.     Traced  from  nature. 

is  also  entire,  as  for  example  the  magnolias,  laurel,  and  flowering  dogwood, 
but  more  commonly  they  are  variously  notched  or  indented.  Leaf  mar- 
gins so  indented  are  characterized  in  botanical  descriptions  by  technical 
tex'ms  which  are,  for  the  most  part,  self-explanatory ;  as  for  example  (Fig. 
28),  serrate,  saw-toothed  ;  dentate,  toothed,  but  with  teeth  less  regular 
than  the  preceding,  and  not  pointing  forward  like  them  ;  crenate,  scal- 
loped ;  repand,  undulate,  or  wavy,  when  the  margin  makes  a  wavy 
line;  sinuate,  more  strongly  wavy  or  sinuous;  incised,  cut,  jagged, 
etc.  Again,  when  the  margin  is  deeply  cut  into  a  definite  number  of  di- 
visions, the  leaf  is  said  to  be  lobed,  as  three-lohed,  fim-lobed,  ov  seaen-Iobed. 
When  cut  more  deeply  than  half  way  to  the  centre  or  base,  the  leaf  is  said 
to  be  cleft,  and  hence  the  terms  t-liree-deft,  five-cleft,  or  trifid,  quinquefid, 


20  ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 

etc.  When  tlie  incisions  are  carried  still  deeper,  the  term  parted  is  used  ; 
and  when  they  extend  to  the  mid-vein  or  base  of  the  blade,  the  leaf  is  said 
to  be  divided. 

In  general  outHne  leaves  present  a  multiplicity  of  forms,  which  are, 
however,  sufficiently  characterized  in  non-technical  language.  Such  terms- 
as  linear,  lanceolate,  oblong,  elliptical,  oval,  ovoid,  and  orbicular  are  often 
employed,  and  require  no  explanation.  Oblanceolate  signifies  a  general 
lance-shape,  but  somewhat  widened  toward  the  apex,  like  a  lance  with  its 
point  turned  downward  ;  obovate,  an  ovate  form  also  with  its  wider  por- 
tion toward  the  apex ;  spatulate,  hke  a  sj^atula  ;  cnneate,  wedge-shaped,  ta- 
pering from  above  downward. 

Then,  too,  the  base  and  apex  present  a  variety  of  forms.  The  base 
may  be  cordate  or  heart-shaped,  reniform  or  kidney-shaped,  auriculate 
or  eared,  sagittate  or  arrow-shaped,  hastate  or  halberd-shaped,  peltate  or 
shield-shaped. 

The  apex  may  be  acuminate  or  taper-pointed  ;  acute  when  ending  with 
an  acute  angle  and  not  tapering  ;  obtuse,  blunt ;  truncate,  aj^pearing  as  if 
cut  off ;  retuse,  slightly  notched  at  the  extremity  ;  emarginate,  more  deeply 
notched  or  indented  ;  obcordate,  inversely  heart-shaped  ;  cuspidate,  armed 
with  a  small  cusp  or  tooth  ;  mucronate,  armed  with  a  very  small  sharp 
point ;  or  aristate,  with  a  bristle-like  point. 

Thus  far  we  have  considered  the  leaf  in  its  simplest  form — that  is,  when 
consisting  of  a  single  blade,  however  deeply  it  may  be  cut  or  divided. 
All  such  leaves  are  termed  simple  (Fig.  29),  in  contradistinction  with 
compound  leaves  (Fig.  30),  which  are  made  up  of  two  or  more,  often 
many  blades,  supported  by  a  common  petiole.  Yet  this  distinction  of 
leaves  into  simple  and  compound  is,  to  some  extent,  arbitrary,  for  in  leaves, 
which  are  parted — that  is,  divided  to  the  base  or  mid-vein — the  lobes  be- 
come as  essentially  separate  blades  as  if  they  were  supported  upon  sepa- 
rate petioles  :  still,  such  leaves  are  commonly  considered  simple.  Some 
writers  simplify  the  matter  by  drawing  the  line  at  an  articulation  with  the 
petiole,  considering  those  only  compound  which  are  so  articulated  and  all 
others  simple.  By  articulation  is  meant  the  joint  at  which  the  leaf  sepa- 
rates when  it  falls  from  the  stem.  But  even  this  division  is  not  com- 
j)letely  satisfactory,  for  there  are  leaves — for  example,  the  lemon— con- 
sisting of  a  single  entire  blade  which  is  articulated  Avith  its  petiole,  and 
hence  would  under  this  definition  have  to  be  considered  a  compound  leaf. 

A  compound  leaf,  then,  is  made  up  of  two  or  more  blades,  termed  leaf- 
lets (Fig.  30),  borne  xipon  a  common  petiole,  with  which  they  may  or  may 
not  be  articulated. 

Compound  leaves  are  of  two  principal  forms,  the  pinnate,  in  which 
the  leaflets  are  arranged  like  the  pinnate  veins  of  a  simi^le  feather-veined 
leaf,  and  the  palmate,  in  which  they  are  arranged  palmately. 

Pinnately  compound  leaves   are    equally    pinnate  when  they  have 


BUDS    AND    LEAVES. 


21 


their  leaflets  in  pairs;  unequally  pinnate  (Fig.   30)  when  they  have 
them  in  pairs  surmounted  by  an  odd  terminal  one. 

But  often  the  division  of  pinnately  compound  leaves  is  carried  still 
farther,  and  the  place  of  the  leaflet  is  taken  by  another  petiole  bearing 
leaflets  ;  the  leaf  is  then  termed  bi-pinnate  (Fig.  31)  ;  a  step  farther  still, 
and  it  becomes  tri- pinnate.  In  these  cases  the  primary  divisions  are 
termed  pinnae,  the  secondary  pinnules,  though  the  blades  are  alv^ays 
called  leaflets. 


FiQ.  29.— Simple  leaf  of  bass-wood, 


.—Compound  leaf  of  locnst  (Robinia 
Paeudacaia).  Unequally  pinnate,  the  separate 
blades  {leaflets)  being  in  pairs,  with  an  odd  terminal 


Palmately  compound  leaves  are  also  frequently  divided  and  subdivided 
in  like  manner,  and  may  become  bi-  or  tri-palmate,  ternate,  etc. 
When  the  subdivision  is  carried  to  an  extreme  point  the  leaf  is  termed 
decompound. 

The  same  terms  are  used  in  the  characterization  of  the  general  outhne 
of  compound  leaves  and  their  leaflets  and  the  marginal  features  of  the  lat- 
ter as  are  applied  to  simple  leaves. 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


Besides  simple  and  compound  leaves,  there  are  other  abnormal  forms, 
such  as  tendrils,  spines,  and  pitchers,  to  which  we  can  barely  allude. 
Tendrils  (Fig.  32)  and  spines  are  but  reduced  leaves,  while  pitchers  are 
leaves  which  have  undergone  changes  of  structure  to  fit  them  for  special 
purposes,  as  for  example,  the  entrapping  of  insects. 


Fig.  31.— a  bi-pi 


compound  leaf.  Fig.   32. — Compound   leaf  of  pea,  with  the  terminal 

leaflets  changed  to  tendrils.     The  expanded  leaflets  at  the 
base  are  foliaceous  stipules. 


As  remarked  above,  a  leaf  may  or  may  not  have  a  distinct  petiole.  In 
the  latter  case  the  base  of  the  blade  is  attached  directly  to  the  stem,  with 
or  without  an  articulation.  In  all  deciduous  plants — that  is,  those  whose 
leaves  fall  away  at  the  end  of  the  growing  season — the  articulation  is  jDres- 
ent  whether  there  be  a  petiole  or  not.  In  endogenous  plants  the  articu- 
lation is  absent,  the  leaves,  at  the  end  of  the  growing  season,  dying  away 
gradually. 

In  some  cases  where  the  petiole  is  absent,  the  base  of  the  leaf  encircles 
or  clasps  the  stem.     Occasionally  the  leaf  appears  as  though  perforated  by 


BUDS    AND    LEAVES. 


23 


the  stem;  it  is  then  denominated  perfoliate.  In  other  cases  a  paii' of 
leaves  have  their  bases  united  about  the  stem  ;  such  leaves  are  termed 
connate. 


Fig.  33.— Leaf  of  tulip-tree  with  deciduous 
stipules. 


Pig.  34. — Leaf  of  rose  with  permanent  foli- 
aceous  stipules. 


The  petiole  is  often  furnished  at  its  base  with  a  pair  of  foliaceous  or 
membranous  appendages,  termed  stipules.  Very  often  these  serve  as 
bud-scales  and  fall  away  after  the  leaf  expands  (Fig.  33)  ;  sometimes,  how- 


FiG.  36.— Vertical  section  through  a  breath- 
ing-pore of  a  leaf,  showing  the  arrangement  of 
the  epidermal  cells.     Magnified. 


Fig.  35.— Vertical  section  of  a  leaf,  showing  cells 
of  epidermis  and  parenchyma,  and  intercellular 
spaces.    Magnified. 


ever,  they  form  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  leaf  and  remain  until  it  falls 
(Figs.  32  and  34). 


24  ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 

We  have  already  seen  that  leaves  are  composed  of  cellular  and  woody 
tissue,  and  have  considered  the  latter  in  its  ramifications  which  make  up 
the  leaf-skeleton.     We  will  now  briefly  examine  the  cellular  tissue. 

Unlike  the  cellular  tissue  of  the  stem, 
this  is  a  green  ]Dulp  closely  resembling  the 
green  layer  of  the  bark.  It  is  made  up  of 
cells  somewhat  loosely  arranged,  with  open 
spaces  or  air-passages  between  them  (Fig. 
35).  These  cells  owe  their  green  color  to 
minute  grains  of  a  pecuHar  green  coloring 
matter,  termed  chlorophyll,  which  they 
contain.  Externally  the  entire  leaf  is  covered 
with  a  thin,  transparent  membrane,  termed 
epidermis  (Fig.  36);  this  is  perforated 
Fig.  s^.-surface  of  a  leaf,  showing  sto-   ^j^h  uumerous  Openings,  termed  stomata 

mata  (breathing-pores).     Magnified.  .  .  l        •        . 

(Fig  37),  winch  permit  the  external  air  to 
have  free  access  to  the  intercellular  air-passages.  The  stomata  are  much 
more  numerous  on  the  under  than  the  upper  side  of  the  leaf,  and  here 
also  the  air-passages  are  most  abundant. 

FUNCTIONS  OF   THE   LEAVES. 

Leaves  have  often  been  compared  with  the  lungs  of  animals,  since  it  is 
their  office  to  aerate  the  vital  fluids  of  plants.  The  nourishment  collected 
by  the  roots  is  transmitted  through  the  stem  to  the  leaves,  and  here,  ex- 
posed to  contact  with  the  air,  it  becomes  elaborated  and  fitted  for  the 
plant's  further  use.  Through  the  multitude  of  stomata,  or  breathing-pores, 
the  air  has  free  access  to  the  interior  of  the  leaf,  where  the  cells  take  from 
it  carbonic  acid  and  j'ield  up  theii-  superfluous  moisture,  or  absorb  oxygen 
and  water  as  may  be  required.  In  sunHght  leaves  absorb  carbonic  acid 
and  give  out  oxygen  ;  in  darkness  the  process  is  reversed  and  carbonic 
acid  is  exhaled.  But  as  plants  are  much  more  active  in  daylight  than  in 
darkness,  the  amount  of  carbonic  acid  taken  from  the  atmosphere  is  many 
times  gi-eater  than  that  which  is  exhaled  ;  and  as  nearly  all  the  carbonic 
acid  absorbed  is  decomposed,  the  carbon  alone  being  retained  while  the 
oxygen  is  returned  to  the  air,  it  at  once  becomes  evident  that  plants  are 
continually  purifying  the  air  which  animals  breathe.  Animals,  on  the  other 
hand,  are  as  constantly  renewing  the  supply  of  carbonic  acid  in  the  air, 
and  thus  better  fitting  it  for  the  sustenance  of  plants,  so  that  there  is  an 
intimate  interdependence  of  vegetable  and  animal  life.  Both  probably 
had  their  advent  upon  earth  at  the  same  time,  and  progressed  ujDward 
from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  forms,  side  by  side,  with  equal  steps. 

So  far  the  leaves  are  analogous  to  the  lungs  of  animals,  but  their  func- 
tions do  not  cease  with  the  mere  absorption  of  carbonic  acid  and  the  ex- 


THE    FLOWER.  25 

halation  of  oxygen.  In  their  green  cells — and  in  other  greeij  parts  of 
plants — are  cari-ied  on  the  functions  of  digestion  and  assimilation  and  the 
manufacture  of  the  multitude  of  principles  which  give  to  plants  their 
peculiar  properties.  Wherever  these  principles  may  be  stored  uj),  whether 
in  the  roots,  the  stem,  the  bark,  the  fruit,  or  in  the  leaves  themselves, 
they  are  the  product  of  the  green  cells,  which  attain  their  greatest  develop- 
ment in  the  expanded  leaves. 

THE   FLOWER. 

Having  studied  the  organs  by  which  j)lants  develop  and  exist  as  individ- 
uals, we  have  next  to  consider  those  engaged  in  the  process  of  reproduction. 

At  an  established  period  in  every  flowering  plant's  life,  the  terminal  or 
axillary  buds  cease  to  produce  leaves,  their  leaflets  undergoing  a  transfor- 
mation by  which  they  become  reproductive  organs.  A  bud  in  this  trans- 
formed condition  is  termed  a  flower- bud,  and  when  fully  expanded  be- 
comes a  flower. 

We  have  akeady  seen  that  leaf-buds  are  not  scattered  hap-hazard  along 
the  stem,  but  are  arranged  in  a  fixed,  determinate  manner  ;  now,  as  flower- 
buds  are  but  transformed  leaf-buds,  we  are  prepared  to  find  them  also  oc- 
cupying fixed  positions.  This  arrangement  of  flowers  is  termed  inflo- 
rescence, and  demands  a  brief  examination  before  proceeding  to  the 
consideration  of  the  structure  of  the  flower. 

In  some  plants  only  the  buds  terminating  the  main  stem  and  branches 
are  transformed  into  flowers ;  in  others,  only  the  axillary  ;  in  others  still, 
but  much  more  rarely,  the  flowers  are  both  axillary  and  terminal. 

When  the  flowers  are  all  terminal  the  inflorescence  is  termed  deter- 
minate; when  they  are  all  axillary  it  is  termed  indeterminate,  because 
so  long  as  the  terminal  bud  continues  to  produce  leaves  with  buds  in  their 
axils,  flowers  follow  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  their  number  is  mdefinite. 

The  organs  of  inflorescence  are  bracts,  peduncle,  pedicel,  and 
receptacle. 

B  racts  are  altered  leaves  from  the  axils  of  which  the  floral  axes  spring ; 
they  may  be  foliaceous,  membranous,  scarious,  or  petaloid  (colored).  Sec- 
ondary bracts — that  is,  those  at  the  base  of  secondary  divisions  of  a  floral 
axis — are  termed  bract  lets. 

A  peduncle  is  a  branch  directly  terminated  by  a  flower  ;  and  its  ex- 
tremity, usually  more  or  less  enlarged,  upon  which  the  floral  organs  pi'oper 
ai-e  seated,  is  the  receptacle. 

A  pedicel  is  a  secondary  peduncle,  or  in  other  words,  the  stalk  upon 
■which  an  individual  flower  of  a  branching  inflorescence  is  situated. 

Indeterminate  inflorescence  presents  five  well-marked  forms, 
tei-med  the  raceme,  corymb,  umbel,  spike,  and  head,  each  of  which 
is  subject  to  various  modifications. 


26 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


A  raceme  is  an  inflorescence  in  wliicli  nearly  equal  secondary  axes 
rise  along  the  primary  one  ;  it  is  simple  when  the  secondary  axes  termi- 
nate in  a  single  flower  (Fig,  38)  ;  compound   when  they  branch  before 


Fig.  38. — Simple  raceme  of  the  reel  currant. 


Fig.  39. — Corymb  of  a  cherry. 


flowering.  A  compound  raceme  is  termed  a  panicle.  A  panicle  of  an 
ovoid  shape,  having  the  central  pedicels  longer  than  the  outer,  is  called  a 
thyrse. 


Fig.  40. — A  compound  corymb. 


A  corymb  resembles  a  raceme,  but  has  its  lower  pedicels  longer  than 
the  upper  ones,  thus  bringing  the  flowers  upon  a  level  with  each  other.  It 
may  be  simple  (Fig.  39)  or  compound  (Fig.  40). 

An  umbel  has  its  secondary  axes  diverging  from  the  same  point,  like 


THE    FLOWER. 


27 


Fig.  42.— a  compound  umbel.  Fig.  43.— A  simple        Fig.  44.— A  compound 

spike.  Bpike. 


28 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


the  ribs  of  an  umbrella.  It  is  simple  when  the  secondary  axes  bear 
flowers  (Fig.  41) ;  compou  nd  when  they  divide  before  flowering  (Fig.  42). 
In  the  latter  case  the  ultimate  clusters  of  flowers  are  termed  umbel  lets, 
or  partial  umbels. 

In  compound  umbels  the  bracts  at  the  base  constitute  the  involucre, 
and  those  at  the  base  of  the  umbellets  the  involucel,  or  partial  in- 
volucre. 


Fig.  45.— a  panicle. 


A  spike  is  an  inflorescence  in  which  the  flowers  are  sessile  on  the 
primary  axis  (Fig.  43).  It  is  compound  when  secondary  axes  rise  from  the 
primary  one  and  bear  sessile  flowers  (Fig.  44).  In  many  cases  these  pedi- 
cels are  long  and  form  panicles  (Fig.  45). 

Catkins  (Figs.  46  and  47)  and  cones  are  forms  of  spikes  in  which 
the  flowers  are  incomplete,  as  will  appear  later. 

A  head    is  an  inflorescence  in  which  the  primary  axis  is 


THE    FLOWER. 


20 


A^ertically,  being  at  the  same  time  broadened,  and  having  the  flowers  more 
or  less  thickly  crowded  together  upon  a  common  receptacle,  which,  in  fact, 
the  depressed  primary  axis  becomes.  Here  the  outer  bracts,  commonly 
numerous,  constitute  the  involucre,  and  the  inner  ones — that  is,  those 
about  the  individual  flowers— are  reduced  to  chaflfy  scales  or  bristles. 


Fig.  ^6.— St.iminate  cntkin  of  willow. 


Fig.  47.— Pistillate  catkin  of  willow. 


In  all  these  forms  of  inflorescence  the  lower  or  outer  flowers  expand 
first,  and  the  upper  or  inner  last.  There  is,  therefore,  a  movement  from 
the  circumference  toward  the  centre,  and  hence  the  inflorescence  is 
termed  centripetal. 


Fig.  -19. — Vertical  section  of  .same. 


head  (compound  flower). 


Determinate  inflorescence  is  much  simpler  and  presents  fewer 
difierent  forms.     It  comprises  the  cyme,  fascicle,  and  glomerule. 

A  cyme  is  commonly  a  flat-topped  flower-cluster,  like  a  corymb,  only 
it  is  produced  in  a  difl:erent  manner  (Fig.  50).  It  presents  several  different 
forms. 


30 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


The  primary  axis  may  terminate  in  a  single  flower,  from  whose  axils 
two  secondary  axes  proceed,  each  terminating  in  a  flower,  with  other 
tertiary  axes,  and  so  on.     This  is  a  dichotomous  (forked)  cyme. 

Again,  the  primary  axis  terminating  in  a  flower,  subtended  by  a  single 
bract,  from  its  axil  proceeds  a  secondary  axis  terminating  in  like  manner  ; 
from  its  axil  a  tertiary,  and  so  on.  In  this  manner  is  produced  the 
scorpold  cyme  or  raceme,  which  seems  to  unroll  as  flowering  pro- 
ceeds (Fig.  51). 


Fig.  50.— a  cyme. 


Fig.  51.— a  scoipoid  cyme  or  raceme. 


In  other  cases  still  the  cyme  assumes  a  spicate  or  umbellate  form. 

Both  the  fascicle  and  glomerule  are  of  a  cymose  character.  In  the 
former  the  axes  are  somewhat  lengthened  and  are  regularly  distributed  ; 
in  the  latter  they  are  almost  suppressed  and  very  irregular. 

In  determinate  inflorescence  the  central  flower  always  expands  first,  and 
the  outer  or  lower  flowers  follow  in  regular  succession,  so  that  there  is  a 
movement  from  the  centre  toward  the  circumference  ;  hence  this  form  of 
inflorescence  is  termed  centrifugal. 


THE   FLOWER.  31 

Mixed  inflorescence  is  that  in  which  both  the  detex'miuate  aud 
indeterminate  appear.  In  labiate  plants  the  general  inflorescence  is  inde- 
terminate, while  the  separate  heads  are  axillary  cymes  or  fascicles. 

There  are  other  altogether  irregular  forms  of  inflorescence,  which, 
however,  do  not  require  our  attention. 

The  floral  organs  comprise  those  which  are  essential  to  reproduction, 
namely,  stamens  and  pistils,  and  those  which  envelop  the  essential 
organs,  namely,  calyx  and  corolla.  All  these  organs  are  enfolded  in  the 
bud,  each  kind  in  a  separate  whorl  or  circle  by  itself. 

.  The  calyx  is  the  external  envelope  of  the  flower.  It  is  commonly 
green,  like  the  leaves,  though  occasionally  colored  (petaloid),  and  is  com- 
posed of  from  two  to  six  or  more  leaflets,  termed  sepals,  each  separate 
and  distinct  or  all  more  or  less  united. 


Fig.  52.— a  polysepalous  calyx.  Pig.  53. — A  mono-  or  gamo-  Fig.  54. — Irregular  (petaloid) 

sepalous  calyx.  calyx  of  aconite. 

When  the  sepals  are  distinct  the  calyx  is  termed  polysepalous  (Fig. 
62)  ;  when  they  are  united  it  is  termed  mono-  or  gamosepalous  (Fig. 
53).  The  monosepalous  calyx  is  commonly  more  or  less  cut  or  divided 
from  the  margin  downward  ;  in  such  cases  the  undivided  portion  is  termed 
the  tube,  the  free  border  the  limb,  and  the  point  where  these  meet  the 
throat.  The  separate  portions  of  the  limb  are  often  spoken  of  as  lobes, 
or  teeth.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  in  the  early  stage  of 
the  development  of  the  calyx  the  sepals  are  always  distinct ;  hence  a 
gamosepalous  calyx  is  one  in  which  the  sepals  have  grown  together,  in 
whole  or  in  part,  its  teeth  or  lobes  alone  remaining  to  show  the  number  of 
the  original  sepals. 

The  calyx  is  regular  Avhen  its  sepals  are  all  aHke  (Figs.  52  and  53)  ; 
irregular  when  some  of  them  are  different  in  form  from  the  others  (Fig. 
54).  It  is  deciduous  when  it  falls  away  after  the  fertilization  of  the 
flower  ;  caducous  when  it  falls  as  the  flower  expands  ;  persistent  when 
it  remains  until  the  fruit  matures. 

The  corolla  is  the  inner  floral  envelope.  It  is  commonly  colored, 
and  in  this  respect  is  in  strong  contrast  with  the  calyx.  Its  separate 
leaflets  are  termed  petals,  and,  like  the  sepals,  they  may  be  more  or  less 


32 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


numerous,  and  each  separate  and  distinct,  or  all  may  be  wholly  or  partly 
united. 

When  the  petals  are  distinct  the  corolla  is  termed  polypetalous 
(Fig.  55);  when  they  are  united  it  is  termed  mono-  or  gamopetalous 
(Fig.  56).  In  the  gamopetalous  corolla  there  is  the  same  distinction  of 
tube,  throat,  limb,  and  lobes  as  in  the  gamosejoalous  calyx,  and  it  is  de- 
veloped in  the  same  manner — by  the  fusion  of  originally  distinct  leaflets. 
It  may  likewise  be  regular  (Figs.  55  and  56)  or  irregular  (Figs.  57  and  58), 
and  though  commonly  deciduous,  it  is  sometimes  withering-persistent 
— that  is,  withering  but  not  falling  away  from  the  maturing  fruit.  In 
short,  the  corolla  is  very  like  the  calyx,  save  that  it  is  much  more  delicate 
in  structure,  more  beautiful  in  form,  and  often  most  exquisitely  colored. 


Fig.  55. — Polypetalous  corolla  of  a  wild  rose. 


Fig.  56.— Monopetalous 
corolla  ami  monosepalous 
calyx  of  tobacco. 


Fig.  57.— Irrogular  co- 
rolla of  aconite. 


It  is  not  unfrequently  absent  ;  then  the  flower  is  called  apetalous.  In 
this  case  the  calyx  is  often  colored  like  a  corolla,  and  therefore  well  sup- 
phes  its  place.  But  in  many  plants  both  calyx  and  corolla  are  wanting  ; 
then  the  flowers  are  termed  naked. 

The  essential  floral  organs,  as  remarked  above,  are  the  stamens  and  pis- 
tils. The  stamens  are  variable  in  number,  and  commonly  form  a  circle 
within  the  coroUa  if  this  be  present,  or  in  its  absence  within  the  calj'x. 
They  are  the  fertilizing  organs,  or,  according  to  the  former  ideas  of  the 
sexuality  of  plants,  they  supply  the  male  element  in  the  process  of  repro- 
duction. 

A  stamen  consists  of  two  parts,  an  anther  and  a  stalk  or  filament 
upon  which  this  is  supported  (Fig.  59).  The  anther  is  the  only  essential 
part,  and  this  may  be  and  often  is  sessile.  It  consists  of  two  cells,  di- 
vided from  each  other  vertically  by  a  septum,  each  opening  at  maturity  and 
yielding  a  cellular,  powdery  substance — the  pollen,  which  is  the  fertilizing 


THE    FLOWER. 


33 


element.   Anthers  are  extremely  varied  in  form  in  different  plants,  and  are 
attached  to  their  filaments  in  a  variety  of  ways. 

An  anther  is  innate  when  attached  by  its  base  to  the  apex  of  the 
filament;  adnate  when  attached  by  one  face  to  the  side  of  the  filament ; 
versatile  when  attached  at  its  middle  point  so  as  to  turn  easily  ;  when  it 
is  fixed  to  the  side  of  the  filament  which  looks  toward  the  pistil  it  is 
introrse  ;  and  when  fixed  to  the  other  side  it  is  extrorse. 

As  intimated  above,  the  filament  is  of  minor  importance.  It  is  varied 
in  size  and  length,  and  is  not  unfrequently  absent  altogether. 

•  The  stamens  may  also  be  each  separate  and  distinct,  or  they  may  be 
more  or  less  united.  They  are  m  o  n  ad  e  I  p  h  o  u  s  when  united  by  their  fila- 
ments into  one  set;  diadelphous  in  two  sets;  polyadelphous  in 
several  sets;  and  syngenesious  when  united  into  one  set  by  their 
anthers,  as  in  the  Conipositce  (Figs.  60  and  61).' 


Fig.  58.— Irregular  flower  of  sage.     Enlarged. 


Ki         U 

Fig.  59. — Common  forms  of  stamens  and  anthers. 


The  pistils  are  the  organs  which  are  fertilized  and  bear  the  seeds. 
Their  position  is  in  the  centre  of  the  flower  ;  like  the  other  floral  organs, 
their  number  is  variable— there  may  be  one  or  many. 

A  pistil  may  commonly  be  distinguished  into  three  parts,  namely,  the 
ovary,  the  style,  and  the  stigma  (Fig.  62).  Of  these  the  first  and  last 
are  always  present,  but  the  style  may  be  absent,  in  which  case  the  stigma 
is  sessile  upon  the  ovary. 

The  ovary,  as  its  name  indicates,  is  the  organ  which  contains  the 
ovules  or  rudimentary  seeds  ;  the  stigma  is  the  part  upon  which  the  pol- 
len is  deposited  ;  and  the  style  the  intervening  portion. 

The  pistil  exhibits  an  almost  endless  variety  of  forms  ;  hence  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  characterize  it  in  such  general  terms  as  we  are  obliged  to  employ 
in  this  place. 


For  further  details  regarding  compound  flowers,  see  Compositce. 


34 


ELEMENTS    OF   BOTANY. 


Bearing  in  mind,  liowever,  that  all  the  floral  organs  are  but  trans- 
formed leaflets  of  leaf-buds,  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  the  structure 
of  the  i^istil.  Let  us  take,  for  example,  a  pea-pod,  which  is  only  a  simple 
pistil  that  has  been  fertihzed  and  undergone  subsequent  development, 
without  any  essential  change  of  form.  Split  it  open  on  the  side  to  which 
the  seeds  are  attached  and  spread  it  out  as  nearly  flat  as  jDossible.  We  ob- 
serve, then,  that  it  has  the  general  form  of  a  leaf  with  a  stalk  like  a  petiole 
and  a  mid-vein  which  continues  to  the  apex,  while  on  the  margins  are  placed 
the  seeds.  Now  this  pod  is  but  an  altered  leaflet,  which  was  folded  in- 
ward and  united  at  the  margins,  and  had  developed  along  this  line  of 


Fig.  62.— A  pistil. 
o  is  the  ovarv.  sty. 

„      ,    ,     ^      ,  the  style,   stig.  the 

.  ray  floret  of  a  head  , .  ^^ 

stigma.     The  ovarv 
(compound  flower). 

rests  upon  the  re- 
ceptacle (r),  which 
terminates  the  pe- 
duncle (p). 

Fig.  60. — A  disk  or  tubular  floret  of  a  head  (compound  flower),  showing  the  anthers  united  into  one  set 
(syngenesious).     Magnified. 

union  a  number  of  ovules.  At  the  apex  the  stigma  was  placed,  and 
through  this  fertilization  was  effected,  as  will  be  seen  later.  Such  is  the 
general  plan  upon  which  the  simple  pistil  is  constructed  ;  but  as  the 
leaves  of  plants  exhibit  an  endless  variety  of  forms,  so  naturally  would  the 
leaflets  whose  transformations  produce  pistils,  and  hence  the  pistils  also. 
Again,  the  pistils  are  very  often  compound — that  is,  made  up  of  from  two  to 
many  simple  ones  grown  together.  Suppose,  for  example,  a  circle  of  five 
leaflets  stand  in  the  centre  of  a  bud,  which  are  to  be  transformed  into  a 
compound  pistil.  The  margins  of  each  would  be  folded  in  and  united,  to 
form  simple  pistils ;  then  the  sides  of  each,  coalescing  with  those  of  its 


THE    FLOWER. 


35 


neighbors,  would  result  in  n  compound  five-celled  ovary.  Suppose  them 
united  to  each  other  from  base  to  apex,  and  one  common  stigma  might  do 
for  all ;  let  union  take  place  only  half  way  up,  and  there  would  be  a  com- 
pound ovary,  but  with  five  styles  and  five  stigmas.  The  pistils  of  fetid 
hellebore  (Fig.  63)  are  united  at  the  base  only,  and  are  considered  simple 
by  some,  compound  by  others. 

Of  the  pollen  and  o\'ules  little  need  be  said  here,  save  that  they  have  a 
strict  analogy  with  the  fertilizing  element  and  the  ovule  of  animal  repro- 
duction.    Both  exhibit  a  great  variety  of  forms. 


Pig.  fi3.— Pistils  of  fetirt  hellebore 
united  at  the  base. 


Parts  of  the  flower  in  threes  (•3-merons). 


Having  thus  briefly  considered  the  organs  which  compose  the  flower, 
Ave  wall  now  examine  their  numerical  disposition  and  their  arrangement 
upon  the  receptacle. 

In  exogenous  plants  the  parts  of  the  flowers  are  commonly  in  fives  or 
fours,  or  in  multiples  of  those  numbers  ;  and  however  much  they  may 
differ  in  this  respect,  they  are  never  completely  in  threes.  In  endogenous 
plants,  on  the  contrary,  the  habitual  arrangement  is  in  threes.  This 
should  be  borne  in  mind,  since  it  is  another  prominent  and  characteristic 
mark  of  difference  between  these  two  great  divisions  of  flowering  plants. 

In  speaking  of  a  flower  in  respect  to  the  numerical  arrangement  of  its 
pai'ts,  it  is  said  to  be  3-merous,  4--merous,  or  5-merous  (Figs.  64, 
€5,  and  QQ). 

But  here,  as  elsewhere  in  jDlant  life,  there  is  endless  diversity.  A  strictly 
5-merous  flower  should  have  five  sepals,  five  petals,  five  stamens,  and  five 
pistils,  or  multiples  of  this  number.  Now,  in  reality  such  a  flower  is  rare. 
It  would  be  much  easier  to  find  one  with  five  sepals,  five  petals,  ten  sta- 


36 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


mens,  and  one  5-cellecl  ovary  ;  or  a  4-meroiis  flower  with  two  sepals, 
four  petals,  sixteen  to  twenty-four  stamens,  and  a  1-ceUed  ovary.  In  fact, 
in  exogenous  plants  the  numerical  arrangement,  though  commonly  in  fives 
or  fours,  presents  almost  innumerable  exceptions — some,  indeed,  in  which 
the  exact  plan  is  scarcely  discernible ;  but,  be  it  remembered,  it  is  never 
completely  in  threes.  In  endogenous  plants,  however,  the  arrangement  by 
threes  is  much  more  uniform  and  the  exceptions  much  more  i-are. 


Fig.  65. — A  flower  of  the  common  lilac — 
4-merous. 


Fig.  66. — Pive-merous  flower  of  a  geranium. 


We  have  seen  that  the  calyx  and  corolla  may  be  regular  or  irregular, 
and  that  both  stamens  and  pistils  are  subject  to  variations  also.  Another 
form  of  irregularity  requires  attention. 

In  many  plants  there  is  an  imperfection  in  the  flowers,  some  of  them 
being  without  stamens,  others  without  pistils.  These  imperfect  flowers 
may  be  upon  the  same  plant,  or  upon  dififerent  individuals  of  the  same 
species  (Figs.  46  and  47).     The  common  ailanthus,  so  largely  used  as  a 


Fig.  67.— Pistil  of  the  vine  with  hypogynous 
stamens.  The  corolla  and  calyx  (also  hypogy- 
nous) removed.     Enlarged. 


Superior  ovary  of  the  poppy. 


shade-tree,  has  flowers  with  stamens  only  [staminate)  on  one  individual, 
and  those  with  pistils  only  (pistillate)  on  another.  Such  plants  are  termed 
dioecious;  while  those  with  both  kinds  upon  the  same  individual  are 
termed  iT'ioncecious.  Still  others  have  not  only  perfect  flowers — that  is, 
those  with  both  stamens  and  pistils — but  these  imperfect  staminate  and 
pistillate  flowers  also ;  such  plants  are  termed  polygamous. 


THE    FLOWER. 


37 


To  sum  up  the  irregularities  of  flowers  as  tliey  actually  exist,  let  almost 
any  one  be  compared  with  a  typical  flower,  which  is  perfect,  having  both 
kinds  of  essential  organs;  complete,  having  all  the  sorts  of  organs 
which  any  flower  possesses,  namely,  calyx,  corolla,  stamens,  and  pistils  ; 
regular,  all  parts  of  each  set  being  alike  ;  symmetrical,  with  the  same 
number  of  jjarts  in  each  set. 

The  arrangement  of  the  floral  organs  upon  the  receptacle  next  demands 
attention. 

The  calj'x  is  commonly  attached  to  the  lower  border  of  the  receptacle  ; 


Fig.  69. — Perigynous  stamens  and  petals 
of  the  peach. 


Fig.  70.— Perigy 


tiimeiis  and  petals  of  the 


the  corolla  next  above,  its  petals  alternate  with  or  opposite  the  sepals  ; 
above  the  corolla  are  the  stamens,  and  above  these  the  pistils.  In  such  an 
orderly  arrangement  as  this  the  organs  beneath  the  pistils  are  said  to  be 
hypo  gy  no  US,  and  the  pistil,  in  relation  to  them,  is  said  to  be  superior 
(Figs.  67  and  68).  All  the  organs  in  this  case  are  inserted  on  the  re- 
ceptacle. 

In  other  cases  the  calyx  and  jDistil  only  have  direct  relation  with  the 
receptacle,  the  corolla  and  stamens  being  inserted  on  the  former  ;  they  are 
then  said  to  be  perigynous  (Figs.  69  and  70).     Again,  the  calyx  may  be 


Calyx — superior. 


Fig.  72.— Calyx— half-superior.- 


coherent  with  the  pistil  in  whole  or  in  part  ;  in  these  cases  the  calyx  is 
said  to  be  superior  or  half-superior  (Figs.  71  and  72),  while  the  corolla 
and  stamens  are,  as  before,  perigynous.  In  case  the  tube  of  the  calyx 
ends  at  the  summit  of  the  ovary,  its  lobes  as  well  as  the  petals  and  sta- 
mens appearing  as  if  inserted  on  the  ovary,  they  are  termed  epigynous. 


38 


ELEMENTS    OF   BOTANY. 


FUNCTIONS   OF   THE   FLOWER, 


The  only  function  of  the  flower  which  requires  our  attention  is  the  re- 
production of  the  sjDecies. 

The  manner  in  which  this  is  accompHshed  is  sufficiently  simple,  and,  to 
one  acquainted  with  the  phenomena  of  reproduction  in  animals,  readily 
understood. 

As  the  flower  expands  the  anthers  expel  their  pollen  through  pores  or 


Fig.  73.— An  anther  open- 
ing by  pores  or  chinks  at 
the  top. 


[Fig.  74.— An  anther  open- 
ing by  valves. 


Fig.  75. — Anthers  depositing  pollen  directly  on  the  stigma,  through 
which  the  pollen-tubes  are  seen  passing  to  the  ovules. 

valves  opened  for  this  purpose  (Figs,  73  and  74).  The  pollen  is  either  shed 
directly  on  the  stigma  or  is  carried  there  by  the  wind  or  by  insects,  and 
once  there  it  is  retained  by  a  glutinous  secretion  of  the  stigma  (Fig.  75), 

From  each  pollen-cell  (Fig.  76)  is  then  protruded  a  minute  tube,  the 
pollen-tube,  which  insinuates  itself  through  the  stigma,  and  continuing  its 


FUNCTIONS    OF   THE    FLOWER. 


39 


growth  until  it  reaches  an  ovule,  penetrates  this  at  a  minute  pore  prepared 
for  its  reception,  and  there  deposits  its  contents  (Figs.  77  and  78)  ;  ferti- 
lization is  then  an  accomplished  fact,  and  the  pollen  and  pollen-tube  wither 
away  while  the  ovary  and  ovule  continue  their  growth  until  the  fruit  is 
matured. 

Even  the  most  careless  observer  of  plants  must  have  noticed  that  in 


Fig.  76.— Different  forms  of  pollen.    Magnified. 

many  of  our  common  species  the  fruit  often  contains  abortive  or  imperfect 
seeds.  Pea-pods,  for  example,  are  often  seen  with  only  a  single  perfect 
seed  ;  and  ears  of  Indian  corn  with  half  the  kernels  imperfect  are  exceed, 
ingly  common.  In  these  instances  and  in  all  others  of  like  character  the 
ovules,  represented  by  the  imperfect  seeds,  have  failed  to  be  reached  by 
the   fertilizing  pollen-tube.     Not  unfrequently,   also,  dioecious  plants,  of 


.—Vertical  section  of  an  ovule  before 
fertilization.     Magnified. 


Fig.  78. — Vertical  section  of  an  ovule  after  fertili- 
zation, with  pollen-tube  in  nitu.     Magnified. 


the  pistillate  kind,  and  hence  naturally  fertile,  bear  flowers  year  after  year 
without  producing  fniit,  much  to  the  bewilderment  of  their  owners.  The 
cause  is  not  far  to  seek.  Such  plants  are  remote  from  individuals  pro- 
ducing staminate  flowers,  and  must  of  necessity  remain  bari-en  until  this 
fault  be  remedied. 

Another  point  of  interest   in  this  connection  is   the   production    of 
hybrids,  by  the  crossing  of  related  species  or  varieties. 


40 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


Every  farmer  knows  that  if  two  varieties  of  corn,  say  yellow  and  white, 
be  planted  side  by  side,  the  result  will  be  a  great  many  ears  of  speckled 
corn,  those  with  both  white  and  yellow  kernels  intermingled.  Now,  corn 
is  a  monoecious  plant,  the  pollen  being  produced  in  vast  quantities  b}'  the 
tassels  (stamens),  while  the  silk  of  the  ears  represent  the  exposed  portions 
of  the  pistils.  Naturally  two  varieties  growing  side  by  side  will  have  their 
showers  of  pollen  intermingled  by  the  wind,  and  grains  of  each  falling 
upon  the  silk  of  the  same  ear  will  produce  a  mixture  of  different  colored 
kernels,  for  the  pollen  will  determine  the  character  of  the  kernel  produced 
by  the  ovule  which  it  fertilizes. 

Again,  the  pumpkin  and  squash  are  closely  related  species,  and  cannot 
be  grown  side  by  side  without  hybridization.  But,  as  in  the  animal  king- 
dom, the  j)i'oduction  of  hybrids  is  limited  to  closely  related  species  or 
varieties,  and  cannot  be  eftected  by  the  crossing  of  in- 
dividuals of  widely  different  genera.  Strictly  speaking, 
the  hybrid  is  the  product  of  the  crossing  of  related 
sjDecies,  but  in  a  wider  sense  it  may,  without  impro- 
priety, be  applied  in  plant  life  to  the  crossing  of  varie- 
ties, as  in  the  instance  of  corn. 


THE   FRUIT. 

The  fruit  is  the  fertilized  and  matured  ovary  en- 
closing the  seeds,  capable  of  reproducing  the  plant. 
Not  unfrequently,  also,  it  comprises  the  remaining 
parts  of  the  pistil,  more  or  less  altered,  or  the  enlai'ged 
and  variously  modified  calyx  and  receptacle. 

Fruits  are  distinguished  as  simple  or  compound. 
A  simple  fruit  consists  of  a  single  matured  pistil, 
whether  this  be  simple  or  compound,  together  with  its 
enclosed  seed  or  seeds,  the  seed-vessel,  termed  peri- 
carp, being  the  matured  ovary,  and  the  seed  the  ferti- 
lized and  matured  ovule. 

The  pericarp  is  distinguished  into  three  layers, 
namely,  epicarp  (outer  layer),  endocarp  (inner 
layer),  and  mesocarp  (middle  layer).  In  many  fruits 
the   mesocari)  is  very  thick   and   fleshy,  and   is  then 

Demes.  x  ^  ^' 

known  as  the  sarcocarp. 

There  are  three  principal  kinds  of  simple  fruits,  fleshy  fruits,  stone- 
fruits,  and  dry  fruits.  , 

In  fleshy  fruits  the  whole  pericarp  thickens  and  becomes  soft  in  ripen- 
ing.     Of  this  kind  are  the  berry,  pepo,  and  pome. 

In  the  berry  the  flesh  is  uniformly  soft  thi-oughout,  as  in  the  cm- 


THE    FRUIT. 


41 


rant  (Fig.  79),  huckleberry,  tomato,  and  gi*ape.  The  strawberry,  black- 
berry, and  rasjDberry  are  not,  botanically,  berries,  as  will  appear  later. 

The  pepo  is  the  kind  of  fruit  found  in  the  gourd  family  ;  it  is  com- 
monly hard  mthout  and  softer  within. 

The  pome  finds  its  type  in  the  aj)ple,  in  which  the  mass  of  tissue  is 
composed  of  the  thickened,  adherent  calyx,  the  thin  pods  containing  the 
seeds  being  the  only  representatives  of  the  pistil. 

The  stone-fruit  is  technically  known  as  a  drupe.  It  comprises  an 
outer  fleshy  jDortion  enclosing  a  stone  or  putamen,  containing  the  seed 
(Figs.  80  and  81). 

Dr}'  fruits  are  those  in  which  the  pericarp  retains  an  herbaceous  text- 
ure during  its  development,  and  results  in  a  membranous  or  hardened 
coating  to  the  seed.     In  some  of  these  the  pericarp  opens  at  maturity  and 


Fig.  80.— Cherries.     Example  of  a 
drupe. 


Fig.  81. — Vertical  section  of 
a  cherry. 


Fio.  82. — Achenium  of  a  com- 
posite plant. 


permits  the  seeds  to  escape  ;  such  fruits  are  termed  dehisce  nt.  In  others, 
as  well  as  in  all  fleshy  and  stone-fruits,  the  pericarp  remains  closed  ;  these 
are  termed  indehiscent. 

Of  indehiscent  dry  fruits  a  common  form  is  the  achenium,  or 
akene,  a  1-seeded  fruit,  appearing  like  a  seed,  but  being  covered  closely 
by  the  pericarj^  Of  this  kind  are  all  the  fruits  of  the  composike  (Fig, 
82)  and  many  of  the  ranunculacece.  The  real  botanical  fruit  of  the  straw- 
bei'ry  is  also  an  achenium,  for  each  of  the  so-called  seeds  is  an  achenium 
immersed  in  the  fleshy,  edible  receptacle  (Fig.  83).  In  the  raspberry  and 
blackberry  each  grain  is  a  minute  berry  or  stone-fruit  surrounded  by  a 
fleshy  mass,  in  the  one  case  separable  from  the  receptacle,  in  the  other 
fused  with  it  (Figs.  84  and  85). 

The  achenia  of  the  composit?e  are  commonly  crowned  with  a  tuft  of 
bristles  or  hairs,  termed  the  pappus  (Fig.  82),  designed  to   favor   their 


42 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


distribution  by  the  wind.     That  of  the  dandeHon  will  serve  as  an  illus- 
tration. 

The  utricle  is  an  achenium  with  a  loose,  bladdery  pericarp. 


^0 


Pig  83  —  ^.  '^tiawbeiiy,  showing 
the  seeds  (achenia)  immersed  in  the 
fleshy  receptacle. 


Fig.  85.— a  blackberry. 


The  caryopsis  has  the  pericarp  incorporated  with  the  seed,  as  in 
wheat,  rye,  and  Indian  corn. 

A  nut  is  a  dry  indehiscent  fruit  with  a  hard  woody  or  bony  shell,  as 
in  the  acorn,  chestnut,  and  cocoanut.  The  acorn  rests  in  a  cup-shaped  in- 
volucre, termed  the  CUp,  or  cupule  ;  the  chestnut  in  a  prickly  bur. 


Fig.  86. — Samara  of  the  maple. 


Fig.  87.— Samara  of         Fig.  N8  —Follicle 
the  ailanthus.  of  aconite. 


A  samara,  or  key-fruit,  is  either  a  nut  or  an  achenium,  or  any  other 
dry  fruit  furnished  with  a  wing  to  favor  its  distribution  by  the  wind.  Of 
this  kind  are  the  fruits  of  the  maple  (Fig.  86),  elm,  tulip  tree,  and  ailan- 
thus (Fig.  87). 


THE    FRUIT. 


43 


Capsule,  or  pod,  is  the  general  name  for  dry  seed-vessels  wlncli  split 
open  at  maturity  in  some  regular  manner.  It  presents  many  different 
forms. 

The  follicle  is  the  fruit  of  a  simple  pistil  which  splits  along  its  inner 
suture — that  is,  the  suture  formed  by  the  united  edges  of  the  leaflet  which 
formed  the  pistil  (Fig.  88). 

The  legume  splits  along  both  sutures,  as  we  see  in  the  bean  and  pea 
(Fig.  89).     It  is  common  to  a  large  order  of  plants,  the  leguminosce. 

The  true  capsule  is  the  product  of  a  compound  pistil.  It  may  be  one 
or  many-celled,  and  may  discharge  its  seeds  thi-ough  chinks  or  pores,  as  in 


/ 


Fig.  89.— Legume  ol 
the  pea. 


.—Capsule  of  poppy. 


Fig.  91.— a  silique. 


the  poppy  (Fig.  90),  or  burst  u-regularly,  or,  as  is  most  common,  open  by 
valves. 

Dehiscence  by  valves  is  loculicidal  when  the  pod  splits  down  the  back 
of  each  cell;  septicidal  when  the  cells  first  separate  from  each  other 
through  their  partitions  and  then  open  along  their  inner  margin. 

The  silique  is  the  pod  found  in  the  cracifene.  It  is  divided  into  two 
cells  by  a  false  partition,  and  generally  opens  by  two  valves  from  below 
ixpward  (Fig.  91). 

The  silicle  is  a  short,  broad  silique,  like  that  of  the  shepherd's  purse. 


44 


ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 


The  pyxis  is  a  pod  which  opens  transverse  I}-,  the  upper  portion  form- 
ing a  hd  or  cover  (Fig.  92). 

Compound  fruits  are  those  resulting  from  many  blossoms  aggregated 
into  one  mass.  The  most  common  form  is  the  strobile,  or  cone,  the 
fruit  of  the  comferce. 

The  cone  is  composed  of  open  pistils,  commonly  in  the  form  of  flat 
scales,  regularly  overlying  each  other,  and  all  pressed  together  into  a  coni- 
cal shape  (Fig.  93).     Each  scale  bears  one  or  two  seeds  on  its  inner  sur- 


FiG.  93.— Pyxis  of  henbane.  Fig.  93.— A  pine  cone. 

face.     When  mature  and  dry  the  scales  diverge  and  permit  the  seeds  to 


In  some  plants  the  scales  forming  the  cone  become  fleshy  and  more 
or  less  united  to  each  other,  so  as  to  form  a  fruit  resembling  a  berry ;  of 
such  a  character  are  the  cones  of  juniper,  commonly  knoAvn  as  juniper 
berries. 


THE   SEED. 

Ovules  which  have  been  fertiUzed  and  undergone  subsequent  develop- 
ment become  seeds. 

The  seed  consists  of  a  kernel  covered  by  an  integument.  The  integu- 
ment or  seed-coat  is  divisible  into  two  layers,  an  external  often  hard  and 
crustaceous,  termed  the  testa,  and  an  internal  one,  which  is  thin  and 
dehcate. 

The  testa  sometimes  fits  the  kernel  closely,  as  in  the  bean  ;  again,  it 
is  expanded  into  a  wing  (Fig.  94)  or  is  tufted  with  long,  soft  hairs,  as  in 


THE    SEED. 


45 


the  milk- weed,  or  wdth  more  delicate  fibres,  as  in  cotton  (Fig,  95).  Some 
seeds  have  an  additional  covering,  more  or  less  expanded  in  form,  termed 
an  aril  I  US,  or  aril;  of  such  character  is  the  mace  of  nutmeg  and  the 
scarlet  pulp  enclosing  the  seeds  of  the  woody  bitter-sweet  {Gelastrus  scan- 
dens),  so  much  used  for  winter  decoration. 

All  the  expansions  of  the  external  seed-coat  are  evidently  designed  to 
favor  the  distribution  of  the  seeds. 

The  scar  left  where  the  seed-stalk  separates  is  termed  the  h  i  I  u  m  ;  the 
minute  orifice  through  which  the  pollen-tube  entered,  now  closed  wp,  is 
termed  the  micropyle. 

The  kernel  is  the  essential  part  of  the  seed.  In  many  seeds  it  is  all 
embryo — that  is,  a  minute  folded-up  plantlet ;  in  others  it  comprises  not 


""h 


^ 


Fig.  94. — Winged  seed  of  the  pine. 


Fig.  !».").— Cotton  seed. 


only  the  embryo,  but  a  mass  of  nourishing  matter  in  which  this  is  im- 
bedded, termed  the  albumen. 

The  albumen  is  composed  of  starch,  gluten,  oily  matters,  etc.,  and  is 
designed  to  nourish  the  young  plantlet  during  the  early  stages  of  its  de- 
velopment, before  its  roots  have  taken  firm  hold  of  the  soil.  It  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  tliis  differs  in  every  essential  particular  from  animal 
albumen. 

The  embryo,  or  germ,  is  the  embryo  plantlet  whose  development  we 
have  studied  in  the  bean  and  Indian  corn.  It  is  distinguishable  into  three 
parts,  namely,  (1)  the  radicle,  called  also  and  more  properly  the  caulicle, 
or  rudimentary  stem,  to  one  end  of  which  are  attached  (2)  the  cotyle- 
dons, or  seed-leaves,  between  which  is  the  rudimentary  bud  termed  the 
(3)  plumule,  while  the  other  end  becomes  the  descending  axis. 

And  here  we  leave  this  branch  of  our  subject,  having  outlined,  in  a  gen- 
eral way,  the  history  of  flowering  plants  from  their  germination  in  the  seed 
to  their  reproduction  in  seed  again. 

From  this  history  that  of  flowerless  or  cryptogamous  plants 
differs  in  many  essential  particulars,  but  most  of  all  in  their  earliest  and 
latest  stages,  in  germination,  and  in  reproduction.    This  subject  cannot  be 


46  ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 

entered  into  iu  detail  here,  for  however  active  cryptogamous  plants  may 
be  in  the  causation  of  disease — and  surely  this  is  a  vexed  question  just 
BOW — they  are  not,  as  a  rule,  particularly  efficacious  in  its  cure,  at  least 
so  far  as  our  present  knowledge  goes. 

Of  the  lowest  orders  we  shall  say  nothing  save  that  their  hfe  history  is 
similar  to  that  of  the  lowest  orders  of  the  animal  kingdom,  being,  in  fact, 
nothing  but  the  history  of  single  cells. 

The  highest  orders,  termed  acrogenous  cryptogams,  have  a  dis- 
tinct axis,  growing  from  its  apex  only,  containing  woody  tissue  and  vessels, 
and  usually  with  some  foliage.  They  are  destitute  of  true  flowers,  but  pro- 
duce, instead  of  seeds,  minute  bodies  termed  spores.  From  these  spores 
are  produced  new  j^lants,  but  in  a  manner  altogether  different  from  the 
germination  of  the  seed  of  a  flowering  plant.  In  the  first  place,  from  the 
spores  are  developed  organs  analogous  to  stamens  and  pistils ;  the  latter 
being  fertilized  by  the  former,  a  new  j^lantlet  is  the  result.  In  other 
words,  rei^roduction  is  not  finally  accomi^lished  by  the  joarent  plant, 
though  the  materials  for  its  accomplishment  are  fully  prepared. 

To  this  class  belong  very  few  medicinal  species,  male  fern  (Asjndium 
Filix-mas),  shield  fern  [Aspidium  marginale),  and  club-moss  {Lycopodiam) 
being  the  only  ones  indigenous  to  North  America. 

CLASSIFICATION   OF   PLANTS. 

The  unit  of  classification  in  vegetable  as  in  animal  life  is  the  species  ; 
and  a  knowledge  of  all  known  species  would,  in  one  sense,  comj)rise  the 
knowledge  of  the  whole  vegetable  kingdom.  But  as  sj^ecies  indicates  a 
relationship  of  individuals,  so  different  sjDecies  bear  relationship  to  each 
other,  and  groups  of  species  relationshijDS  to  other  groups,  and  so  on  until 
the  entire  vegetable  kingdom  is  included. 

An  illustration  will  best  serve  to  define  a  sjiecies.  Take,  for  example, 
peppermint.  We  have  here  a  plant  of  a  certain  aspect,  with  stem,  leaves, 
flowers,  and  fruit  to  a  certain  extent  peculiar  to  itself.  The  seed  of  one 
individual  or  of  a  thousand  will  j)roduce  plants  of  essentially  the  same 
character,  year  after  year,  generation  after  generation.  We  might  plant 
beside  this  another  of  somewhat  similar  aspect,  spearmint,  and  this  would 
also  reproduce  itself  generation  after  generation  wdthout  change.  There 
would  never  be  an  intermingling  of  the  two  ;  the  seed  of  the  one  would 
never  produce  the  other,  but  each  would  always  reproduce  itself.  Now, 
then,  all  the  individual  peppermint  plants  existing  are  the  direct  descend- 
ants of  others  which  preceded  them,  and  those  of  others  still,  and  we  can 
reasonably  trace  the  chain  backward  to  one  common  ancestor.  The  same 
with  spearmint.  To  express  this  history  of  a  plant  Ave  use  the  term 
species,  signifying  all  individuals  descended  from  a  common  stock. 
Hence  the  species  peppermint  comprises  all  the  individuals  having  its  pe- 


CLASSIFICATION    OF    PLANTS.  47 

culiar  characteristics,  and  the  sjDecies  spearmint  all  the  iudividual  mints  of 
this  kind. 

But  these  two  species  bear  an  evident  relationship  to  each  other,  as 
evinced  by  their  square  stems,  opposite  leaves,  peculiar  flowers  and  seeds, 
as  well  as  in  their  similar  but  distinct  aromatic  proj^erties.  This  relation- 
ship is  expressed  by  the  term  genus,  which  signifies  a  gi'oup  of  related 
species. 

But  if  we  investigate  a  little  further  we  shall  find  many  other  plants 
having  a  general  resemblance  to  these  two  mints  in  their  manner  of 
growth,  mode  of  flowering,  etc.  Take  catnip,  for  example.  Here  we  find 
the  square  stem,  opposite  leaves,  and  a  similar  mode  of  flowering,  but  still 
some  well-marked  differences  which  have  placed  it  in  another  genus.  But 
these  two  genera  have  still  marks  of  relationship  which  place  them,  to- 
gether with  many  other  genera,  in  a  still  greater  group  termed  an  order. 
Nor  do  we  stop  here,  for  we  have  seen  that  a  plant  may  have  polypetalous, 
gamopetalous,  or  apetalous  flowers,  and  obviously  orders  of  polypetalse  are 
more  nearly  related  to  each  other  than  to  gamoi^etaliB  or  apetalse  ;  hence 
orders  are  grouped  in  divisions.  And  again,  the  three  divisions  of  poly- 
petalte,  gamopetalae,  and  aj^etahe,  being  found  in  exogenous  plants,  are 
more  nearly  related  to  each  other  than  to  endogenous  plants  ;  hence 
the  distinction  of  classes.  But  the  two  classes  of  flowering  plants  are 
yet  more  nearly  related  to  each  other  than  to  flowerless  plants,  and  an- 
other term,  sub-kingdom,  is  requii-ed  to  express  that  fact. 

To  express  this  grouping  of  plants  in  a  natural  way  we  have  :  Sub- 
kingdom.     Class.     Division.     Order.     Genus.     Species. 

In  this  system  of  classification  the  order,  genus,  and  species  has  each  its 
distinctive  name.  Names  of  orders  are  often  derived  from  some  well- 
marked  characteristic  of  the  plants  composing  it,  as  lahiake,  an  order 
characterized  by  labiate  flowers  ;  leguminosce,  ha\dng  fruit  in  the  form  of  a 
legaime  ;  crucifenv,  having  flowers  in  the  form  of  a  cross.  Often,  again, 
they  are  derived  from  that  of  some  genus  which  they  include  whose  name 
was  established  before  this  classification  was  introduced,  as  magnoliacece, 
from  magnolia  ;  ?-a»M?ici<Zacece,  from  ranunculus  ;  rosacea,  from  rose  ;  sola- 
nacece,  from  solanum,  etc. 

The  generic  name  is  in  many  instances  of  ancient  origin  ;  in  other  in- 
stances it  has  been  derived  from  names  of  individuals  or  from  some 
structural  peculiarity,  etc. 

The  specific  name  most  commonly  characterizes  some  structural  feature  : 
Gentiana  quinqucfiora  {five-flowered  G.),  G.  crinita  {fringed  G.),  etc.  It  not 
unfi-equently  commemorates  some  individual  or  country,  as  Gentiana  An- 
drewsii  {Andrews'  gentian),  Cornus  Canadensis,  etc.,  and  is  then  commonly 
written  with  an  initial  capital. 

To  illustrate  the  manner  in  which  these  names  are  employed,  we  will 
make  use  of  a  single  example.     The  order  Gentianacex  includes  all  plants 


48  ELEMENTS    OF    BOTANY. 

in  the  knowTi  world  having  the  general  structure  of  a  gentian,  comprising 
many  genera,  as  gentiana,  sabbatia,  fraaera,  etc. 

The  genus  gentiana  includes  all  the  gentians,  and  their  names  are 
written  thus  : 

Gentiana  quinqueflora  Lamarch — Five-flowered  gentian. 

Gentiana  crinita  Froelich — Fringed  gentian. 

Gentiana   Andrewsii  Grisebach — Andrews'  gentian,  etc. 

The  words  Lamarck,  Froelich,  and  Grisebach  being  the  names  of  the 
botanists  who  described  the  plants  and  gave  them  their  specific  names. 

Such  is  a  brief  outline  of  the  classification  of  plants  at  present  em- 
ployed. It  is  variously  modified  to  suit  circumstances,  but  these  modifi- 
cations do  not  require  our  attention  here.  There  is,  however,  one  point 
which  requires  a  passing  glance.  In  speaking  of  species,  these  were 
treated  of  as  being  absolutely  distinctive.  Now,  in  reality  this  is  far  from 
the  fact,  for  often  species — as  described — are  difficult  to  distinguish  one 
from  another.  Again,  the  same  species  may  present  plants  of,  in  some  re- 
spects, different  aspects  ;  as  for  example,  a  plant  whose  flowers  are  habitu- 
ally blue  may  joroduce  individuals  with  white  flowers.  Now  Avhen  such 
variations  from  the  specific  standard  tend  to  reproduce  themselves  year 
after  year,  they  are  termed  varieties  ;  hence  we  not  unfrequently  see  the 
specific  name  followed  by  the  word  variety  and  another  name,  as  Anemone 
patens  Linne,  var.  NuttalUana  Gray,  signifying  that  the  plant  is  a  variety  of 
anemone  patens  as  characterized  by  Linne,  which  variety  was  named  for 
Nuttall  and  described  by  Gray. 

The  plants  of  any  region  or  country  arranged  systematically  according 
to  this — or  any  other — system  of  classification  is  termed  the  flora  of  that 
region  or  country,  and  such  a  flora  is  of  immense  service  to  the  student 
who  wishes  to  familiarize  himself  with  the  plants  about  him.  With  this 
flora  before  him  and  an  unknown  plant  in  his  hand,  he  is  enabled  to  trace 
out  analytically,  step  by  step,  the  relationship  of  the  unknown  with  the 
known,  and  finally  to  fix  the  plant's  specific  location. 

We  Avill  suppose  him  with  a  flowering  jolant  in  his  hand,  but  one  which 
he  has  never  seen  before.  He  begins  by  ascertaining  whether  it  be  ex- 
ogenous or  endogenous  ;  if  exogenous,  whether  polypetalous,  gamopeta- 
lous,  or  apetalous  ;  and  then  whether  it  bear  evident  relationship  to  plants* 
of  any  order  with  which  he  is  familiar.  If  not,  he  must  search  through 
the  characters  of  orders  until  he  can  fix  its  ordinal  location,  then  its  ge- 
neric place,  and  finally  its  specific  name.  For  facilitating  such  analyses  arti- 
ficial keys  are  supplied  in  most  published  floras. 

A  medical  flora,  such  as  is  attempted  in  the  second  part  of  this  volume, 
is  an  orderly  arrangement  of  the  medicinal  plants  of  any  region  or  country. 
Obviously  a  key  cannot  readily  be  availed  of  in  such  a  Avork,  for,  to  be  of 
any  service,  it  must  be  capable  of  application  to  all  the  plants  which  the 
territory  includes. 


GLOSSARY 

OK 

DICTIONARY  OF  BOTANICAL  TERMS. 

(COMBINED   WITH   AN   INDEX.) 


Antlier,  the  essential  part  of  the  stamen, 
Figs.  59,  73,  74,  p.  32. 

Apetalous,  without  a  corolla,  p.  32, 

Aphyllous,  destitute  of  leaves. 

A2')pressed,  in  close  contact  but  not  united. 

Arboreous  (or  arborescent),  tree-like. 

Ai'illus  (or  aril),  a  fleshy,  false  coating  to 
the  seed,  p.  45. 

Aristate,  armed  with  a  bristle-like  point. 

Articulation^  the  joint  at  which  a  part  sepa- 
rates, as  the  petiole  from  the  stem,  p. 
20. 

Ascending  stem,  one  which  arises  obliquely, 
p.  10. 

Assurgent,  ascending. 

Awn,  a  bristle-like  appendage. 

Axil,  the  angle  on  the  upper  side  between 
the  leaf  and  stem. 

Axillary  bud,  a  bud  placed  in  the  axil  of  a 
leaf.  Axillary  buds  often  remain  dor- 
mant indefinitely  ;  when  they  begin  to 
grow  they  become  terminal  buds,  i.e., 
buds  terminating  growing  branches,  p. 
10. 

Alveolate,  like  honeycomb.  Baccate,  like  a  berry. 

Andrcecium,    a   collective    name    for    the    Barbate,  bearded. 

stamens.  Bark,  p.  15. 

Anmial,  a  plant  which   germinates  from  !  5as<-ce?Zs,  the  long  wood-cells  of  bark,  p.  15. 

the  seed,  produces  flowers  and  fruit,  and  |  BeaJced,  ending  in  a  beak  or  narrow  tip. 

dies  the  same  season,  p.  9.  Bean,  its  structure  and  germinatiou,  Figs. 

Annual  rings  (of  wood),  Fig.  19,  p.  14.  1-5,  p.  2, 


Acaulescent,  without  an  apparent  stem — 
the  true  leaf-  and  flower-bearing  stem 
being  short  or  subterranean. 

Achenium  (or  akene),  a  dry  1-seeded  fruit, 
Fig.  82,  p.  41. 

Acicular,  needle-shaped. 

Acrogenous,  growing  only  from  the  sum- 
mit, as  the  stems  of  ferns  and  mosses. 

Aculeate,  armed  with  prickles. 

Acuminate,  taper-pointed. 

Acute,  sharp-pointed. 

Adnate  (anther),  attached  by  one  face  to 
the  side  of  the  filament,  p.  33. 

Adventitious  roots,  p.  6. 

Adventitious  roots  of  parasitic  plants,  Fig. 
13,  p.  7. 

Air-plants,  those  nourished  by  aerial  roots, 
p.  9. 

Akene  (or  achenium),  a  dry  1-seeded  fruit, 
Fig.  82,  p.  41. 

Alate,  winged. 

Albwnen,  p.  45. 

Alburnum,  sap-wood,  p,  15. 

Alternate,  one  after  another,  as  alternate 


0 


GLOSSAEY    OE    DICTIONARY    OF    BOTANICAL    TEEMS. 


Berry,  a  fruit  pulpy  or  juicy  throughout, 
Fig.  79,  p.  40. 

Biearinate,  two-keeled. 

Bidentate,  with  two  teeth. 

Biennial,  a  plant  which  germinates  from 
the  seed  one  season  and  produces  flowers 
and  fruit  and  dies  the  next,  p.  9. 

Bifid,  two-cleft. 

Bifoliate,  with  two  leaflets. 

Bilabiate,  two-lij^ped. 

Bdocular,  two-celled. 

Bipartite,  two-parted. 

Bipinnaie,  twice  pinnate,  Fig.  31,  p.  21. 

Biserrate,  doubly  serrate,  as  when  the  teeth 
of  a  serrate  leaf  are  themselves  serrate. 

Blade  (or  lamina),  the  expanded  portion 
of  a  leaf,  p.  17. 

Bracts,  the  leaves  of  inflorescence,  p.  25. 

Bractlets  (or  bracteoles),  secondary  bracts. 

Branches  (and  stem),  p.  9. 

Buds  and  leaves,  p.  17. 

Bulb,  a  short,  usually  scaly  and  subter- 
ranean stem.  Figs.  lG-18,  p.  11. 

Caducous,  falling  off  quickly,  p.  31. 

Ccesintose,  growing  in  tufts. 

Calyx,  the  external  floral  envelope,  p.  31. 

Cambium  layer,  p.  15. 

Canaliculate,  channelled. 

CanceUate,  resembling  lattice-work. 

Canescent,  grayish-white,  hoary. 

Capitate,  head-like. 

Capsule  (or  pod),  a  dry  seed-vessel  which 

splits  open  in  a  regular  manner,  p.  43. 
Carina,  a  keel. 
Carinate,  keeled. 
Carp>el,  a  simple  pistil  or  one  division  of  a 

compound  pistil. 
Caruncle,   an   excrescence  at   the  scar  of 

some  seeds. 
Caryojms,  a  fruit  having  the  pericarp  in- 
corporated with  the  seed,  p.  42. 
Catkin  (orament),  Figs.  46,  47,  p.  28. 
Caudate,  tailed. 
Caidicle  (or  radicle),  the  stem  part  of  the 

embryo,  p.  45. 
Cauline,  belonging  to  the  stem,  as  caulilie 

leaves. 
Chlorophyll,  the  green  coloring  matter  of 

plants,  p.  24. 
Cinereous,  ashy-gray. 
Circinate,  rolled  inward  from  the  top. 


Class  (of  plants),  p.  47. 

Classifi-cation  of  plants,  p.  46. 

Claw,  the  narrow,  stalk-like  base  of  some 

petals. 
Cleft,  cut  more  than  half-way  to  the  base, 
p.  19. 

Climbing,  rising  by  clinging  to  other  ob- 
jects. Plants  climb  in  many  different 
ways :  by  twining,  by  means  of  adven- 
titious roots,  by  tendrils,  by  the  petioles 
of  the  leaves,  etc. 

Column,  the  united  stamens,  or  stamens 
and  pistils  of  some  plants. 

Complete  (flower),  having  calyx,  corolla, 
stamens,  and  pistils,  p.  37. 

Compound  leaf,  Fig.  30,  p.  20. 

Compressed,  flattened  on  opposite  sides. 

Concentric  rings  (of  wood).  Fig.  19,  p.  14. 

Cone,  the  fruit  of  the  Coniferce,  Fig.  93, 
p.  44. 

Connate,  leaves  united  about  the  stem,  p. 
23. 

Contracted,  narrowed  or  shortened. 

Cm'iaceous,  leathery. 

Corm,  a  fleshy  bulb,  p.  12. 

Corolla,  the  inner  floral  envelope,  p.  31. 

Co7'tical,  pertaining  to  the  bark  (cortex). 

Corymb,  a  sort  of  flat  or  convex  flower- 
cluster,  Figs.  39,  40,  p.  26. 

Cotyledons  (or  seed-leaves),  the  first  leaves 
of  the  embryo.  Figs.  1-3,  pp.  2,  45. 

Crenate,  scalloped.  Fig.  28,  p.  19. 

Cryptogamous  (or  fiow er\QS,%)  pilants,  p.  45. 

Cttneate,  wedge-shaped. 

Cup  (or  cupule),  the  involucre  in  which 
an  acorn  rests,  p.  42. 

Cusjndate,  armed  with  a  small  cusp,  or 
tooth. 

Cyine,  a  sort  of  flat-topped  flower-cluster, 
Fig.  50,  p.  29. 

Decandrous,  with  ten  stamens. 

Deciduous,  falling  off,  as  leaves  which  fall 
in  autumn,  p.  22. 

Declined,  turned  to  one  side. 

Decompound,  several  or  mam'  times  com- 
pounded or  divided,  p.  21. 

Decurrent  (leaves),  prolonged  down  the 
stem. 

Definite,  a  fixed  number. 

Dehiscent  (fruits) ;  opening  at  maturity, 
p.  41. 


GLOSSAEY    OR    DICTIONARY    OF    BOTANICAL   TERMS. 


51 


Dentate,  toothed,  Fig.  28,  p.  19. 
Depressed,  flattened  vertically. 
Determinate  inflorescence,  p.  25. 
Diadelphous    (stamens),    united    by    their 

filaments  into  two  sets,  p.  32. 
Diandrous,  having  two  stamens. 
Dichotomous,  forked. 
Didynamous,  having  four  stamens  in  two 

pairs,  one  of  which  is  shorter  than  the 
'other. 
Digitately  veined,  p.  19. 
Difjynous,  having  two  pistils  or  styles. 
Dumious  (plants),  those  which  have  stam- 

inate  and  pistillate   flowers  on  different 

individuals,  Figs.  46,  47,  p.  36. 
Dissepiments,  the  partitions  of  an  ovary  or 

fruit. 
Divided,  cut  to  the  base,  p.  20. 
Division  (of  plants),  p.  47. 
Drupe,  a  stone-fruit,  p.  41. 
Ducts  (or  vessels^  Fig.  23,  p.  14. 
Duramen,  heart-wood,  p.  15. 

EcMnate,  armed  with  prickles. 

Mnarginate,  notched  at  the  apex. 

Embryo  (or  germ),  the  rudimentary  plant- 
let  in  the  seed,  p.  45. 

Endocarp,  the  inner  layer  of  the  pericarp, 
p.  40. 

Endogenous  plants,  without  distinction  of 
bark,  wood,  and  pith.  Fig.  25,  p.  16. 

Ensiform,  sword-shaped. 

Entire,  the  margins  not  toothed  or  indent- 
ed. 

Epicarp,  the  outer  layer  of  the  pericarp, 
p.  40. 

Epidermis,  the  outer  covering  or  skin. 

Epigynous,  upon  the  ovary,  p.  37. 

Equally  pinnate,  with  leaflets  in  pairs,  p. 
20. 

Erect  stem,  one  growing  straight  up,  p. 
10. 

Erase,  eroded,  appearing  as  if  gnawed. 

Essential  floral  organs,  those  necessary  to 
reproduction,  namely,  stamens  and  pis- 
tils, p.  32. 

Exogenous  plants,  with  bark,  wood,  and 
pith,  each  distinct.  Fig.  19,  p.  12. 

Exstipidate,  without  stipules. 

Exirorse  (anther),  fi.xed  to  the  side  of  the 
filament  which  looks  away  from  the  pis- 
til, p.  33. 


Falcate,  scythe-shaped. 

Fascicle,  a  close  cluster,  p.  30. 

Fascicled  roots,  those  which  grow  in  a  bun- 
dle or  cluster,  p.  5. 

Filament,  the  part  of  the  stamen  which 
supports  the  anther,  p.  32. 

Flavescent,  yellowish,  or  turning  yellow. 

Fleshy  fruits,  p.  40. 

Flora,  the  plants  of  a  district  or  country, 
or  a  systematic  arrangement  and  descrip- 
tion of  them. 

Floral  organs,  p.  31. 

Flotcer,  p.  25. 

Flower-hud,  p.  25. 

Flotcerless  (or  cryptogamous)  plants,  p.  45. 

Foliaceous,  leaf-like. 

Follicle,  a  fruit  which  opens  along  its  inner 
suture,  Fig.  88,  p.  43. 

Footstalk  (or  petiole),  the  stem  of  a  leaf, 
p.  17. 

Foveate,  deeply  pitted. 

Fruit,  p.  40. 

Functions  of  leaves,  p.  24. 

Functions  of  roots,  p.  8. 

Functions  of  stem  and  branches,  p.  16. 

Functions  oftheflotrer,  p.  38. 

Fusiform,  spindle-shaped, 

Oaleate,  helmet-shaped. 

Gamopetalous,  monopetalous,  p.  32. 

Gamosepahus,  monosepalous,  p.  31. 

Geniculate,  bent  like  a  knee. 

Genus,  p.  47. 

Germ  (or  embryo),  the  rudimentary  plant- 
let  in  the  seed,  p.  45. 

Glabrous,  smooth. 

Glands,  small  celh^lar  organs  which  secrete 
oily,  resinous,  or  other  products. 

Glaucous,  covered  with  a  bloom — a  fine 
white  powdery  coating  which  rubs  off,  as 
the  bloom  of  a  grape. 

Ghmsnde,  a  dense  head-like  cluster,  p.  30. 

Gymnospermous,  naked-seeded. 

GyncBcium,  a  collective  name  for  the  pis- 
tils. 

Gynandrous,  with  stamens  and  pistils 
united. 

Habitat,   the  situation    in   which  a    plant 

grows  without  cultivation. 
Hairs,  hair-like  appendages  on  the  surface 

of  plants. 


52 


GLOSSARY    OR    DICTIONARY    OF    BOTANICAL    TERMS. 


Half-superior    (calyx),  partially   enclosing 

the  ovary,  Fig.  73,  p.  37. 
Hastate,  halberd-shaped. 
Head,    the    inflorescence  of  the   so-called 

compound  flowers,  Figs.  48,  49,  p.  28. 
Heart-iDood  (or  duramen),  the  older,  often 

colored  wood  of  exogenous  stems. 
Herb,    a  plant  which    dies   altogether,   or 

down  to  the  ground,  after  maturing  its 

fruit. 
Herbaceous,  having  the  texture  of  an  herb, 

i.e.,  with  little  woody  tissue,  p.  13. 
Hilum,  the  scar  on  the  seed  marking  its 

former   attachment   to   the   seed-vessel, 

pp.  2,  45. 
Hoary,  grayish-white. 
Horn,  a  spur  or  other  like  appendage. 
Hybrid,  a  cross-breed,  p.  39. 
Hypogynous,    inserted   below   the   pistils, 

Figs.  67,  68,  p.  37. 


Imbricate,  overlapping  one  another. 
Impari-pinnatc,  unequally  pinnate. 
Incanous,  hoary  with  white  pubescence. 
Indefinite,  not  uniform  in  number,  or  very 

numerous. 
Indehiscent  (fruit),  not  opening  at  maturity, 

p.  41. 
Indeterminate  inflorescence,  p.  35. 
Indian  corn,  its  structure  and  germination, 

Figs.  6-9,  p.  3. 
Indigenous,  native  to  the  country. 
Induplicate,  with  edges  turned  inward. 
Inflorescence,  the  arrangement  of  flowers, 

p.  25. 
Infundihidiform,  funnel-shaped. 
Innate   (anther),   attached  by  its   base   to 

the  apex  of  the  filament,  p.  33. 
Internode,  the  space  between  two  nodes  or 

joints,  p.  9. 
Introrse  (anther),  fixed  to  the  side  of  the 

filament  which  looks  toward  the  pistil, 

p.  33. 
Involucel,  the  bracts  at  the  base  of  a  partial 

umbel,  p.  28. 
Involucre,  a  whorl  of  bracts  about  the  base 

of  a  single  flower,  an  umbel  or  a  head. 
Involute,  rolled  inward  from  the  edges. 
Irregular,  with  like  parts  dissimilar,  as  an 

irregular  corolla,  one  with   some  of  its 

petals  unlike  the  others. 


Joint  (or  node),  that  part  of  a  stem  from, 
which  a  leaf  or  leaves  spring. 

Keel,  a  projection  like  the  keel  of  a  boat. 
Kernel,  p.  44. 

Labellum,  the  odd  petal  of  orchidaceous 
plants. 

Laciniate,  slashed  or  cut  into  narrow  lobes. 

Lanuginovs,  cottony  or  woolly. 

Lamina  (or  blade),  the  expanded  portion 
of  a  leaf,  p.  17. 

Leaflets,  the  separate  blades  of  a  com- 
pound leaf.  Fig.  30,  p.  20. 

Legume,  a  pod  which  opens  along  both  su- 
tures, Fig.  89,  p.  43. 

Lenticular,  lens-shaped. 

Liber,  the  inner,  fibrous  bark  of  exogenous 
plants. 

Ligulc,  the  strap-shaped  corolla  of  many 
compositse. 

Limb,  the  free  border  of  a  monosepalous 
calyx  or  monopetalous  corolla,  pp.  31,  32. 

Linear,  narrow  and  flat. 

Lip,  the  principal  lobes  of  a  bilabiate  calyx 
or  corolla. 

Lobe,  a  prominent  division,  as  of  a  leaf,  p. 
19. 

Loculicidal  (dehiscence),  opening  down  the 
back  of  each  cell,  p.  43. 

Lyrate,  lyre-shaped. 


3Iedtdlary  I'ays,  cellular  tissue  connecting 
the  pith  and  growing  surface  of  the  stem, 
Fig.  24,  p.  14. 

Mesocarp,  the  middle  layer  of  the  pericarp, 
p.  40. 

Ilio'opyle,  the  closed  orifice  of  the  seed,  p. 
45. 

Mid-rib,  p.  17. 

Mid-rein,  p.  17. 

Mixed,  infloi'escence,  p.  81. 

Monadelphous  (stamens),  united  by  their 
filaments  into  one  set,  p.  33. 

Monnndrous  (flower),  having  but  one 
stamen. 

MoniUform,  necklace-shaped. 

Mono'cious  (plant\  one  with  staminate  and 
pistillate  flowers  on  the  same  individ- 
ual, p.  36. 

Monogynous,  having  but  one  pistil. 


GLOSSARY    OR   DICTIONARY    OF    BOTANICAL   TERMS. 


53 


Monopetalous,  with  petals  more  or  less 
united,  Fig.  56,  p.  '32. 

Monosepalous.,  with  sepals  more  or  less  unit- 
ed, Fig.  53,  p.  31. 

Mucronate,  armed  with  a  small  sharp 
point. 

Multilocular,  manj-celled. 

Naked,  destitute  of  both  calyx  and  corolla, 

p.  33. 
Nerves  (of  leaves),  p.  17. 
Net-veined  leaves,    common    to   exogenous 

plants,  p.  18. 
Node  (or  joint),  that  part  of  the  stem  from 

which  a  leaf  or  leaves  spring,  p.  9. 
Numerical  arrangement  (flower),  Figs.  64- 

66,  p.  35. 
Nut,    a  dry   indehiscent   fruit   having    a 

woody  or  bony  shell,  p.  42. 

Ochroleucous,  yellowish-white. 

Order  (of  plants),  p.  47. 

Ovary,  the  organ  which  contains  the  ovules. 

Figs.  63,  75,  p.  33. 
Ovule,  the  rudimentary  seed.  Figs.  75,  77, 

78,  p.  33. 

Palmately  compound,  p.  20. 

Palmately  veined,  Fig.  18,  p.  19. 

Panicle,  a  compound  raceme,  p.  26. 

Pappus,  a  tuft  of  bristles  or  hairs  crowning 
the  achenia  of  the  ConqMsit^e,  Fig.  83, 
p.  41. 

Parullel-veined  leaves,  common  to  endo- 
genous plants,  p.  18. 

Parietal  (placentae),  attached  to  the  walls 
of  the  ovary. 

Parted,  deeply  cut,  p.  30. 

Pedately  veined,  p.  19. 

Pedicel,  a  secondary  peduncle. 

Peduncle,  a  branch  terminated  by  a  flower, 
p.  25. 

Pentagynous,  with  five  pistils  or  styles. 

Pentandrous,  with  five  stamens. 

Pepo,  the  fruit  of  the  gourd  family,  p.  41. 

Perennkd,  a  plant  which  lives  several  or 
many  years,  p.  9. 

Perfect  (flower),  having  both  kinds  of  es- 
sential organs,  p   37. 

Perfoliate,  a  leaf  which  appears  to  be  per- 
forated by  the  stem.  p.  23. 

Perianth,  the  floral  envelopes. 


Pericarp,  the  matured  ovary,  or  seed-ves- 
sel, p.  40. 
Perigynous,   petals  and   stamens   inserted 

upon  the  calyx.  Figs.  69,  70,  p.  37. 
Petaloid,   like   a  petal  or  petals,  as  a  peta- 

loid  calyx. 
Petals,  the  separate  leaflets  of  the  corolla, 

p.  31. 
Petiole  (or  footstalk),  the  stem  of  a  leaf,  p. 

17. 
Pilose,  hairy. 
Pinna,   primary  branches  of  a  bipinnate 

or  tripinnate  leaf,  p.  21. 
Pinnately  compound,  p.  20. 
Pinnatcly  (or  feather)   reined,  Fig.  26,  p. 

18. 
Pinnides,   secondary  branches  of   a  bipin- 
nate or  tripinnate  leaf,  p.  21. 
Pistil,   the    organ  which  is  fertilized  and 

bears  the  seeds,  Fig.  62,  p.  33. 
Pistillate    (flower),    one    with    pistils,    but 

without  stamens.  Fig.  47,  p.  36. 
Pitcher,  p.  22. 
PitJi,  the  central  mass  of  cellular  tissiie  of 

exogenous  stems.  Figs.  20,  21,  p.  13. 
Plicate,  plaited. 
Plumose,  feathery. 

Plumiilc,  the  rudimentary  bud  of  the  em- 
bryo, p.  45. 
Pollen,    the  fertilizing   element.    Fig.   76, 

pp.  32,  38. 
Pollen-tube,  Figs.  75,  78,  p.  38. 
Polyadclplious  (stamens),    united   by  their 

filaments  into  several  sets,  p.  33. 
Polygamous    (plants),     having    staminate, 

pistillate,     and    perfect    flowers  on  the 

same  individual,  p.  36. 
Polypetalous,  with  petals  distinct.  Fig.  55, 

p.  33. 
Polysepalous,  with  sepals  distinct.  Fig.  52, 

p.  31. 
Pome,  the  apple,  pear,  and  similar  fruits, 

p.  41. 
Prickles,  sharp  elevations  of  the  bark. 
Primary  roots,  p.  5. 
Prostrate  stem,  one  which  lies  flat  on  the 

ground. 
Pibescent,  hairy  or  downy  with  soft  hairs. 
Pmctate,  dotted. 

Putamen,  the  stone  of  stone-fruits. 
Pyxis,  a  pod  which  opens  transversely.  Fig. 

93,  p.  44. 


54 


GLOSSAKY    OR    DICTIONARY    OF    BOTANICAL    TERMS. 


Hacevte,  an  inflorescence  with  nearly  equal 
secondary  axes  along  the  primary  one, 
Fig.  as,  p.  26. 

Radiate,  furnished  with  ray-flowers. 

Radical,  proceeding  from  the  root,  as  radi- 
cal leaves. 

Radicle  (or  caulicle),  the  stem  part  of  the 
embryo,  p.  45. 

Ray,  the  marginal  flowers  of  a  head,  when 
ligulate  or  different  from  the  others. 

Receptacle,  the  axis  or  support  of  a  flower, 
p.  25. 

Regidar  (flower),  with  all  parts  of  each  set 
alike,  p.  37. 

Repand,  wavy-margined,  p.  19. 

Retuse,  blunted  and  somewhat  indented. 

RImcMs,  the  axis  of  a  spike  or  other  body. 

Rhizome  (or  rootstock),  a  creeping  subter- 
ranean stem,  Fig.  15,  p.  11. 

Ribs  (of  leaves),  p.  17. 

Ringent,  gaping  open. 

Root,  pp.  4,  7. 

Root-hairs,  Fig.  14,  p.  8. 

Rootstock  (or  rhizome),  a  creeping  subter- 
ranean stem.  Fig.  15,  p.  11. 

Rostrate,  beaked. 

Rotation  of  crops,  p.  8. 

Runcinatc,  coarsely  saw- toothed. 

Runner,  a  slender  prostrate  branch,  root- 
ing at  the  end  or  joints. 

Sainara  (or  key-fruit),  a  winged  achenium. 

Figs.  86,  87,  p.  42. 
Sarcocarp,   a   thick,    fleshy   mesocarp,    p. 

40. 
Scabrous,  rough  to  the  touch. 
Scales,  reduced  leaves,  p.  17. 
Scandent,  climbing. 
Scape,  a  peduncle  rising  from  the  ground 

or  near  it. 
Scarious,  thin,  dry,  and  membranous. 
Scorpoid  cyme  (or  raceme).  Fig.  51,  p.  30. 
Scutellate,  saucer-shaped. 
Secondary  roots,  p.  6. 
Secund,  one-sided,  as  a  one-sided  raceme. 
Seed,  p.  44. 

Sepals,  the  separate  leaflets  of  the  calyx. 
Septicidal  (dehiscence),  cells  first  separating 

from    each    other,   then    opening    along 

their  inner  margin,  p.  43. 
Sericeous,  silky. 
Serrate,  saw-toothed.  Fig.  28,  p.  19. 


Sessile,  without  a  stalk,  as  a  sessile  leaf, 
one  without  a  petiole,  p   17. 

Setaceous,  bristle-form. 

Slieathing,  wrapped  about  the  stem. 

Shrubs,  woody  plants  under  about  twenty 
feet  in  height,  p.  12. 

Silicic,  a  short,  broad  silique,  p.  48. 

Silique,  the  pod  of  the  Cruciferce,  Fig.  91^ 
p.  43. 

Simj^ile  leaf,  Fig.  29,  p.  20. 

Simple  stem,  one  without  branches,  p.  10. 

Sinu((te,  strongly  wavy,  Fig.  28,  p.  19. 

S2yat/te,  a  bract  which  enfolds  an  inflo- 
rescence. 

Species,  p.  40. 

Spike,  an  inflorescence  with  flowers  sessile- 
on  the  primary  axis,  Figs.  43,  44,  p.  28. 

Spine,  a  thorn. 

SiJores,  p.  46. 

Squarrose,  with  thickly  set  scales,  leaves, 
or  other  appendages,  spreading  widely 
from  the  axis. 

Stamen,  Fig.  59,  p.  32. 

Staminate  (flower),  one  with  stamens  but 
without  pistils.  Fig.  46,  p.  36. 

Standard,  the  upper  petal  of  a  papilionace- 
ous flower. 

Stem  (and  branches),  p.  9. 

Stigma,  the  part  of  the  pistil  on  which  the 
pollen  is  dejiosited.  Figs.  62,  75,  p.  34. 

Stipe,  the  stem  of  a  pistil  when  it  has 
any. 

Stipulate,  furnished  with  stipules. 

Stipules,  appendages  at  the  base  of  certain, 
leaves.  Figs.  32-34,  p.  23. 

Stomata  (stoma,  singular),  the  breathing- 
pores  of  leaves.  Figs.  36, 37,  p.  24. 

Stonefruit,  p.  41. 

Strict,  close  and  narrow. 

St7'obile,  a  multiple,  cone-shaped  fruit,  like 
that  of  the  common  hop. 

Style,  the  portion  of  the  pistil  between  the 
ovary  and  stigma.  Fig.  62,  p.  34. 

Sidy-kingdom  (of  plants),  p.  47. 

Succulent,  juicy. 

Suffruticose,  slightly  woody,  p.  12. 

Superior  (calyx),  enclosing  the  ovary.  Fig. 
71,  p.  37. 

Symmetrical  (flower),  with  the  same  num- 
ber of  parts  in  each  set,  p.  37. 

Syngenesious  (stamens),  with  anthers  unit- 
ed into  one  set.  Figs.  60.  61,  p.  33. 


GLOSSARY    OR    DICTIONARY    OF    BOTANICAL    TERMS. 


55 


Tap-root,  a  root  with  a  stout  tapering  body, 
Fig.  10,  p.  4. 

Tegmen,  the  inner  seed  coat. 

Tendril,  a  modified  branch  or  leaf  used  for 
climbing. 

Terminal  bud,  the  bud  terminating  the 
main  stem  or  a  growing  branch,  p.  10. 

Ternate,  in  threes. 

i'esta,  the  external  seed-coat,  p.  44. 

Tetradynamous,  having  six  stamens,  two 
of  them  shorter  than  the  others. 

Thickened  fascicled  roots.  Fig.  11,  p.  5. 

Throat,  the  point  where  the  tube  and  limb 
of  a  monosepalous  calyx  or  monopetal- 
ous  corolla  meet,  pp.  31,  32. 

Thyrse,  an  ovoid  panicle,  p.  26. 

Trailing  stem,  one  which  runs  over  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground  or  other  objects. 

Trees,  woody  plants  of  a  greater  height 
than  twenty  feet,  p.  12. 

Tri-pinnate,  thrice  pinnate. 

Truncate,  cut  off. 

Tube,  the  undivided  portion  of  a  mono- 
sepalous calyx  or  monopetalous  corolla, 
pp.  31,  32. 

Tuber,  a  thickened,  bud-bearing  portion  of 
a  subterranean  stem,  p.  12. 

Twining  stem,  one  which  climbs  by  twin- 
ing about  some  support,  p.  10. 

Utnbel,  an  umbrella  -  like  inflorescence, 
Figs.  41,  42,  p.  26. 


Umbellet,  a  secondary  umbel,  p.  28. 

Uncinate,  hook-shaped. 

Unequally  pinnatf,  with  leaflets  in  pairs 
surmounted  by  an  odd  terminal  one, 
Fig.  30,  p.  21. 

Unguiculate,  furnished  with  a  claw. 

Unisexual,  having  stamens  or  pistils  only. 

Utricle,  an  achenium  with  a  loose,  blad- 
dery pericarp. 


Vahate,  opening  by  valves. 

Valve,  one  of  the  parts  of  a  dehiscent  pod 

or  similar  body  which  opens. 
Vai'ieties  (of  plants),  p.  47. 
Veinlets  (of  leaves),  p.  17. 
Veins  (of  leaves),  p.  17. 
Venation,  the  veining  of  leaves,  p.  17. 
Ventricose,  inflated  on  one  side. 
Verrucose,  warty. 
Versatile  (anther),  attached  at  its  middle  so 

as  to  turn  easily,  p.  33. 
Verticil,  a  whorl. 
VerticiUate  branches,  p.  10. 
Vessels  (or  ducts).  Fig.  23,  p.  14. 
Vexillum,  the  standard   of  papilionaceous 

flowers. 
ViUose,  shaggy  with  long,  soft  hairs. 


Wood,  Figs.  22,  23,  p.  13. 

Woody,  having  the  texture  of  wood,  p.  12. 


MEDICINAL   PLANTS 

OP 

KORTH  AMERICA. 


PH^NOGAMOUS  OR  FLOWERING  PLANTS. 


CLASS    I.  —  DICOTYLEDONOUS    OR    EXOGENOUS   PLANTS. 

Stems  with  bark,  wood,  and  pith  distinct ;  when  perennial,  increasing 
in  size  by  the  annual  addition  of  a  layer  of  wood  outside  that  already 
formed.  Leaves  net-veined.  Parts  of  the  flower  commonly  in  fives  or 
fours.  Embiyo  with  two  cotyledons,  or  seed-leaves,  rarely  with  several  in 
a  whorl. 

Division   L — Polypetalous   Exogenous   Plants. 

Flowers  with  both  calyx  and  corolla,  the  latter  absent  in  only  a  few 
genera  and  species.     Petals  each  separate  and  distinct. 


RANUNCULACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Calj-x :  sepals  3  to  6,  generally  5,  distinct, 
usually  deciduous,  and,  except  in  clematis,  imbricated  in  the  bud.  Corolla  : 
petals  3  to  15,  occasionally  irregular  or  deformed,  and  sometimes  absent. 
In  the  latter  case  the  sepals  are  usually  colored,  and  petal-like.  Stamens 
indefinite,  distinct,  very  rarely  few  and  definite.  Ovaries  numerous,  rarely 
few  or  solitary,  distinct.  Ovules  solitary  or  several,  inverted.  Fruit  either 
achenia,  seed-like,  dry  follicles,  or  berries  ;  seeds  solitary  or  several.  Em- 
bryo minute,  at  the  base  of  fleshy  or  horny  albumen. 

Herbs,  rarely  shrubs,  occasionally  shrubby  climbing  plants.  Leaves 
alternate,  opposite  in  clematis,  variously  divided,  without  stipules. 

Almost  the  entire  order  is  characterized  by  a  colorless,  acrid,  and  often 
poisonous  juice.     The  aci-id  princiiDle  is,  however,  generally  volatile,  and 


58 


EANUNCULACE^. 


is  often  entirely  dissipated  in  the  process  of  drying.  Occasionally,  as  in 
aconite,  the  active  principle  is  stored  up  more  abundantly  and  permanently 
in  a  tuberous  root. 

Though  the  ranunculacese  are  represented  in  the  United  States  by  a 
comparatively  large  number  of  genera  and  species,  few  of  these  have  as  yet 
been  found  worthy  a  place  in  the  Pharmacopoeia.  Doubtless  further  care- 
ful investigation  in  this  field  may  yield  important  results. 


CLEMATIS.  — Vebgik's-Bower. 


Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx :  sej)als  4,  rarely  more,  colored,  petaloid, 
the  valvate  margins  turned  inward  in  the  bud.  Corolla  none,  or,  if 
present,  the  petals  small.  Stamens  indefinite  in  number,  distinct.  Ova- 
ries numerous,  distinct.  Achenia  in  a  head  bearing  the  persistent  styles 
as  naked,  hairy,  or  plumose  taUs. 

Perennial,  herbaceous  or  slightly  woody  plants,  generally  climbing  by 
means  of  their  leaf-stalks  ;  occasionally  low  and  erect.     Leaves  opposite. 
Clematis  Viorna  Linne. — Leather-Flower. 

Description. — Calyx  ovate,  at  length  bell-shaped,  the  purplish  sepals 
very  thick  and  leathery,  tipped  with 
short  recurved  points.  Corolla  wanting. 
The  long  tails  of  the  fruit  very  plumose. 
An  herbaceous  chmber.  Leaves 
pinnate  ;  leaflets  3  to  7,  ovate  or  oblong, 
sometimes  slightly  cordate,  2-  to  3-lobed 
or  entire  ;  the  uppermost  often  simple. 
Peduncles  bearing  single,  large,  nod- 
ding flowers,  which  apjDear  from  May  to 
August. 

Habitat. — In  rich  soil  fi'om  Pennsyl- 
vania to  Ohio  and  southward. 

Clematis  Virginiana Linne. — Com- 
vion  Virgin' s-Boioer. 

Description. — Flowers    polygamo-di- 

cecious.     Calyx:    sepals   small,    obovate 

sj^reading,  white.   Corolla  wanting.  Fruit 

with  conspicuous  feathery  tails.    An  her- 

FiG.  96.-ciematis  Virginiana.  baceous  perennial,     stem  chmbing  and 

running  freely  over  shrubs,  fences,  etc.     Leaves  ternate  ;   leaflets  ovate, 

acute,   cut  or  lobed,  somewhat  cordate  at  the  base.     Flowers  in  axillary 

panicled  clusters,  appearing  in  August. 

Habitat. — On  the  alluvial  banks  of  streams  and  along  fences  ;  common 
from  Canada  to  Florida. 


ANEMONE WIND-FLOWER.  59 

Parts  Used. — The  fresh  leaves,  flowers,  and  stem — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  above-described  species  of  clematis,  as  well  as  many- 
others,  both  indigenous  and  foreign,  possess  an  acrid  principle  whose  ex- 
act nature  is  as  yet  undetei-mined.  It  is  of  a  volatile  character,  however, 
and  is  dissipated  by  heat,  and  in  the  process  of  drying  the  plants. 

•  Preparations. — Alcohol  is  a  solvent  for  the  active  principle  of  clematis, 
and  an  alcoholic  tincture  of  the  fresh  plant  the  best  preparation. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Clematis  appears  to  be  little  more  than, 
an  acrid  irritant.  Applied  externally,  the  leaves  of  some  species  strongly 
irritate  and  even  vesicate  the  skin.  Administered  internally,  in  small 
doses,  it  may  produce  diuresis  and  diaphoresis  ;  in  large  doses,  active 
purgation.  It  has  been  employed  in  syphilis,  scrofula,  chronic  rheuma- 
tism, etc.,  but  without  ever  attaining  an  established  reputation.  It  is  used 
at  present  almost  exclusively  by  homoeopathic  practitioners. 

ANEMONE.— Wind-Flo  WER. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  :  sepals  many,  distinct,  petaloid.  Corolla 
none,  or  with  petals  resembling  abortive  stamens.  Stamens  numei'ous, 
distinct.  Ovaries  numerous,  distinct.  Achenia  pointed  or  tailed,  flat- 
tened, not  ribbed. 

Perennial  herbs,  with  radical  leaves,  those  of  the  stem  two  or  three 
together,  forming  an  involucre  some  distance  below  the  flower. 

Anemone  patens  Linne,  var.  Nuttal liana  Gray. — Pasque-Flower. 

Description.— Calyx  :  sepals  6,  purplish  or  white,  li  inch  long,  spread- 
ing. Stem  simple,  erect,  naked  except  the  involucre,  bearing  a  smgle  ter- 
minal flower  which  develops  in  advance  of  the  leaves.  Leaves  ternately 
divided,  the  lateral  divisions  2-parted,  the  middle  one  stalked,  3-parted, 
the  segments  deeply  once  or  twice  cleft  into  narrowly  linear  and  acute 
lobes.  Lobes  of  the  involucre  like  those  of  the  leaves,  united  at  the  base 
into  a  shallow  cup.  The  entire  plant  is  villous  with  long  silky  hairs.  It 
blooms  in  March  and  April. 

Habitat. — In  prairie  regions  from  Illinois  westward  and  northward. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — United  States  Pharmacopioeia.  The  official  name, 
Pulsatilla,  includes  the  herb  not  only  of  this  plant  but  of  A.  2Julsatilla  and 
A.  pratensis  also. 

Constituents. — All  parts  of  the  fresh  plant  are  extremely  acrid  ;  applied 
to  the  skin  it  causes  irritation  and  even  vesication.  This  acrid  property 
is  diminished  or  wholly  lost  by  drying  and  long  keeping ;  hence  to  be  effi- 
cacious it  should  be  used  as  fresh  as  possible,  or  at  least  preparations  made 
from  the  recent  plant  should  be  employed.  The  acridity  of  pulsatilla  is 
due  to  the  presence  of  anemonin,  a  crystalline  substance  which  is  exceed- 
ingly liable  to  change  and  is  destroyed  by  heat. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  An  alcoholic  tincture  of  the  fresh 
plant  is  reliable. 


60 


EANUNCULACE^. 


Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Pulsatilla  is  an  acrid  irritant  whicli,  in 
large  doses,  has  often  produced  serious  and  alarming  effects.  In  safe 
medicinal  doses,  however,  its  effects  are  by  no  means  so  well  known.  At 
various  times  and  Ly  numerous  authors  it  has  been  highly  praised  as  a 
remedy  in  diseases  of  the  eye,  in  rheumatism,  amenorrhoea,  dysmenorrhcea, 
etc.  In  this  country  it  has  been  employed  chiefly  by  homoeopathic  prac- 
titioners, and  usually  in  very  minute  doses.  Many  of  the  results  claimed 
for  it  under  such  circumstances  are  at  least  doubtful.  Certain  it  is  that 
other  practitioners  have  not  been  able  to  confirm  them.    A  few  years  since 


Fig.  97. — Anemone  patens,  var.  Nuttalliatia. 

it  was  highly  recommended  as  a  remedy  in  gonorrhceal  epididymitis,  and 
many  cases  were  recorded  tending  to  prove  its  efficacy,  but  subsequently 
cases  treated  without  medicine  were  shown  to  make  quite  as  satisfactory 
progress.  The  author  has  employed  it  in  a  number  of  cases  of  this  affection 
but  without  any  ajDparent  effect.  He  has  also  employed  it  in  numerous 
cases  of  dysmenorrhcea,  generally  of  hysterical  subjects,  and  though  he  has 
fi-equently  observed  decided  relief  from  pain  during  one  or  two  menstrual 
periods,  he  is  more  inclined  to  attribute  this  to  the  mental  and  moral  effect 
of  a  new  remedy  given  with  the  positive  assurance  that  rehef  would  follow, 


EANUNC  tJLUS CROWFOOT — BUTTERCUP.  61 

than  to  the  medicinal  effect  of  the  drug.  For  in  some  instances,  after 
Pulsatilla  had  lost  its  effect,  a  new  drug— it  has  appeared  to  matter  Httle 
just  which  one — has  again  given  temporary  relief. 

As  a  remedy  in  rheumatism,  dropsy,  paralysis,  etc.,  pulsatilla  does  not 
require  serious  attention.  That  its  acrid  and  irritating  propei'ties  might 
be  made  available  in  stimulating  excretion  is  possible,  but  our  knowledge 
is  at  present  too  limited  to  estabhsh  the  point,  and  other  better  known 
agents  are  always  at  hand. 

HEP  ATICA.— Liverwort. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Involucre  of  3  leaflets  placed  close  to  and 
enveloping  the  flower  bud,  but  becoming  more  distant  after  expansion  by 
the  growth  of  the  intervening  portion  of  the  scape  ;  otherwise  similar  to 
anemone,  of  which  genus  many  botanists  consider  this  only  a  section.  The 
name  hepatica  has,  however,  become  so  well  known  that  it  ought  to  be  re- 
tained for  sentimental,  if  not  for  scientific  reasons. 

Perennial  herbs,  with  a  short  rootstock  and  numerous  strong  fibrous 
rootlets.  Leaves  all  radical,  of  a  thick  leathery  texture,  persisting  through 
the  winter,  the  new  ones  appearing  after  the  flowers,  the  old  ones  then 
■withering  away.  The  mature  leaves  have  a  dark  brownish  color,  variegated 
with  irregular  lighter-colored  spots,  somewhat  resembling  that  of  the  liver, 
whence  the  common  name.  Flowers  numerous,  on  slender  hairy  scapes, 
each  bearing  a  single  one.  They  appear  early  in  spring,  soon  after  the 
snow  is  gone. 

Hepatica  triloba  Chaix. — Round-lohed  Hepatica. 

Description. — Sepals  G  to  9,  white,  purphsh,  or  blue.  Leaves  with  3 
rounded,  obtuse  lobes ;  leaflets  of  the  involucre  also  obtuse. 

Habitat. — In  upland  woods  ;  common  both  here  and  in  Europe. 

Hepatica  acutiloba  De  Candolle. — Sharp-Iobed  Hepatica. 

Description. — Sepals  7  to  12,  white,  pinkish,  or  pale  purple.  Leaves  with 
3  acute  or  pointed  lobes  ;  occasionally  5-lobed  ;  leaflets  of  the  involucre 
also  acute. 

Habitat. — Widely  distributed,  like  the  preceding,  but  less  common. 

Part  Used. — The  leaves — not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — Common  vegetable  imnciples,  such  as  mucilage,  sugar, 
tannin,  etc. 

Preparations. — Used  in  decoction  and  syrup. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — As  a  medicine  hepatica  is  wholly  inert, 
and  unworthy  a  place  in  the  materia  medica. 

RANUNCULUS. — Crowfoot.  — Buttercup. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx:  sepals  generally  5,  sometimes  but  3. 
Corolla  :  petals  generally  5,  sometimes  more,  occasionally  but  3.     Stamens 


62  RANUNCULACE^. 

commonly  numerous,  occasionally  few,  always  distinct.  Ovaries  numer- 
ous, distinct.     Achenia  aggregated  in  a  head. 

Annual  or  perennial  herbs,  with  alternate  stem-leaves.  Flowers  solitary 
or  corymbed,  generally  yellow,  sometimes  white. 

All  the  ranunculi  possess  an  acrid  principle  of  a  volatile  nature  ;  few  of 
them  have  been  used  medicinally. 

Ranunculus  bulbosus  Itinnd.— Bulbous  Crowfoot  or  Buttercup. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  5,  smaller  than  the  petals,  reflexed.  Co- 
rolla :  petals  5  to  7,  round,  wedge-shaped  below,  with  a  small  scale  at  the 
base,  deep,  shining  yellow.  Achenia  with  a  short  beak,  collected  in  a 
globular  head. 

A  perennial  herb  growing  erect  from  a  bulbous  base  ;  leaves  and  stem 
hairy.  Kadical  leaves  ternately  divided,  the  lateral  divisions  sessile,  the 
terminal  stalked  and  3-parted,  the  divisions  wedge-shaped,  cut,  and  toothed. 
Plowers  solitary,  large,  on  long  furrowed  pedimcles  ;  they  appear  through- 
out the  summer. 

Habitat. — A  native  of  Europe  ;  naturalized  in  the  Northern  Atlantic 
States,  growing  in  meadows  and  pastures. 

Ranunculus  repens  lAmxG.— Creeping  Crowfoot. 

Description. — Calyx :  sepals  5,  sjDreading,  smaller  than  the  petals. 
Corolla  :  petals  5,  obovate,  with  a  small  scale  at  the  base,  bright  yellow. 
Carpels  strongly  margined,  pointed  by  a  stout,  nearly  straight  beak,  col- 
lected in  a  globular  head. 

A  low  perennial,  hairy  or  nearly  smooth,  with  the  stem  ascending,  or 
creej)ing  along  the  ground.  Leaves  ternately  divided,  the  divisions  mostly 
stalked,  wedge-shaped  or  ovate,  unequally  3-cleft  or  jsarted,  and  variously 
cut.     Peduncles  furrowed.     It  blooms  throughout  the  summer. 

Habitat. — In  wet  shady  places  ;  common. 

Ranunculus  acris  lAnne.—Tall  Crowfoot. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  5,  spreading,  shorter  than  the  petals,  yel- 
lowish-gi'een.  Corolla :  petals  5,  nearly  as  large  as  those  of  R.  bulbosus, 
with  a  scale  at  the  base,  bright  yellow.  Carpels  ovate,  compressed,  smooth, 
in  a  globular  head. 

A  jDerennial  herb.  Stem  erect,  2  to  3  feet  high,  hairy.  Leaves  mostly 
stalked,  deeply  divided  into  3,  5,  or  7  palmate  segments,  which  are  cut 
into  lanceolate  or  linear  acute  lobes.  Peduncles  round,  not  furrowed.  It 
blooms  in  summer. 

Habitat. — A  native  of  Europe  ;  naturalized  here,  and  common  in  mead- 
ows, pastures,  and  waste  places. 

Ranunculus  sceleratus  Linne. — Cursed  Crowfoot. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  5,  small.  Corolla :  petals  5.  Scarcely 
larger  than  the  sepals,  pale  yellow.  Carpels  numerous,  in  oblong  cylin- 
di'ical  heads. 

A  smooth  perennial  herb.      Stem  erect,  1  foot   high,  thick,  hollow. 


RANUNCULUS CROWFOOT BUTTERCUP.  63 

Lower  leaves  petioled,  divided  into  3  or  more  obtusely  toothed  or  lobed 
segments.     It  blooms  during  summer. 

Habitat. — In  pools  and  ditches  ;  common  both  here  and  in  Europe. 
,  The  above-described  species  of  ranuncvilus  are  the  most  important  of 
the  genus,  though  many  others  possess  nearly  identical  properties. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  ranunculi  are  all  more  or  less  acrid,  some  of  them 
extremely  so.  Little  is  known  of  the  acrid  principle,  save  that  it  is 
volatile,  and  is  diminished  or  entirely  lost  by  drying  and  long  keeping. 

Prejmrations. — Used  only  in  the  fresh  state. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  ranuncvdi  are  too  acrid  to  render 
their  internal  use  either  desirable  or  safe.  Most  of  them  are  avoided  by 
domestic  animals ;  one  may  often  see  B.  acris,  for  example,  growing  lux- 
uriantly in  pastures  where  almost  every  blade  of  grass  is  cropped  close. 
Their  acrid  properties  have,  however,  led  to  their  employment  externally  as 
rubefacients  or  vesicants  in  cases  where  other  and  perhaps  better  agents 
were  not  at  hand,  or  were  for  any  reason  contra-indicated.  As  is  weU 
known,  cases  of  idiosyncrasy  occur  in  which  cantharides  are  inadmissible 
on  account  of  their  effect  upon  the  urinary  organs.  In  some  such  cases 
ranunculus  has  been  used  with  good  effect.  One  of  the  faults  of  this  agent 
is  its  extreme  violence.  The  fresh  plant,  bruised  and  applied  to  the  skin, 
may  vesicate  in  an  hoiu-  or  hour  and  a  haK,  and  may  possibly  produce  an 
ulcer  not  easy  to  heal.  It  is,  therefore,  far  less  safe  as  a  rubefacient  than 
mustard,  and,  as  a  rule,  much  less  desirable  as  a  vesicant  than  cantharides. 
It  has  been  employed  to  some  extent  in  European  countries  as  an  external 
ai3j)lication  in  chronic  rheumatism,  neuralgia,  etc.,  but  never  sufficiently  to 
have  obtained  a  place  in  the  pharmacopoeias.  In  this  country  it  is  used 
still  less,  and  is  little  more  than  mentioned  in  works  on  materia  medica. 

An  interesting  observation  regarding  the  possible  effect  of  E.  acris  on 
pregnant  cows  was  reported  to  the  author  by  his  brother,  IVIi-.  F.  M.  John- 
son. In  a  herd  of  cows  pastured  for  years  in  succession  in  an  old  field 
thickly  beset  with  this  weed,  abortion  was  frequent  and  troublesome.  As 
soon,  however,  as  this  pasture  was  broken  uj)  and  the  herd  moved  to  an- 
other part  of  the  farm  in  which  the  plant  did  not  grow,  abortion  dis- 
appeared. Now  although,  as  stated  above,  domestic  animals  avoid  this 
plant,  yet  when  feeding  where  it  is  very  abundant,  they  must  occasionally 
swallow  it  accidentally  ;  and  though  there  is  no  positive  proof  that  the  abor- 
tions wei'e  due  to  the  plant  in  question,  the  facts  as  stated  are  interesting 
and  significant.  It  is  at  least  possible  that  ranunculus  exerts  an  influence 
upon  the  reproductive  organs  like  that  which  is  claimed  by  some  for 
Pulsatilla. 


64  EANUNCULACE^. 


COPTIS. 


Coptis  trifolia  Salisbury. — Goldthread. 

Description. — Calyx:  sepals  5  to  7,  petal-like,  white,  deciduous.  Corolla : 
petals  5  to  7,  smaller  than  the  sepals,  club-shaped,  yellow  at  the  base,  hollow 
at  the  apex.  Stamens  15  to  25,  hypogynous.  Pistils  3  to  10,  on  slender 
stalks.  Capsules  steUately  diverging,  stalked,  oblong,  compressed,  acu- 
minate with  the  persistent  style,  4-  to  8-seeded.  Seeds  oblong,  black, 
smooth,  and  shining. 

A  small  perennial,  with  evergreen  leaves  arising  from  a  horizontal  rhi- 
zome which  sends  off  in  every  direction  long  slender  fibres  of  a  bright 
yellow  color,  whence  the  common  name  of  goldthread.  Leaves  smooth, 
veiny,  somewhat  coriaceous,  all  radical,  on  long  petioles,  ternately  divided, 
the  leaflets  about  an  inch  long,  roundish,  acute  at  the  base,  lobed  and 
crenate,  the  crenatures  acuminate.  Scape  slender,  round,  bearing  one 
starry-white  flower,  about  two-thirds  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  a  minute 
ovate,  acute  bi-act  some  distance  below  it.     Blooms  in  May. 

Habitat. — Swamps  and  bogs  from  Canada  and  the  Northern  United 
States  southward  along  the  mountains  to  Maryland. 

Parts  Used. — The  whole  plant  may  be  employed,  but  the  rhizomes  and 
rootlets  are  chiefly  used.  Formerly  oificial,  it  has  been  discarded  from  the 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — Goldthread  has  a  strongly  bitter  taste,  unattended  with 
astringency.  Its  most  important  constituent  is  berberina  ;  another  alka- 
loid, cojitina,  exists  in  small  proportion.  The  latter  appears  to  bear  some 
analogy  to  hydrastia.     It  contains  neither  tannic  nor  galhc  acid. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  official  preparations  of  this  plant.  It 
yields  its  virtues  to  alcohol  and  to  water.  The  alcohoHc  tincture  is  of  a 
beautiful  yellow  color,  and  in  cases  where  alcohol  is  not  contra-indicated, 
may  be  employed  as  fully  representing  the  drug.  An  infusion  is  also 
efficient. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Analysis  proves  goldthread  to  be  a  pure 
and  simple  bitter.  Clinically  it  acts  like  calumba,  quassia,  and  other 
drugs  of  this  class.  It  was  formerly  much  used  as  a  wash  for  aphthous 
sore  mouth,  exerting  in  this  instance  an  influence  like  that  of  hydrastis. 
As  a  tonic  dui-ing  convalescence,  and  in  weakened  condition  of  the  di- 
gestive organs,  it  may  be  substituted  for  calumba,  quassia,  etc.,  as  oc- 
casion requires. 

HYDEASTIS. 

Hydrastis  Canadensis  Linne. — Golden  Seal,  Yellow-Root,  Yellow 
Puccoon. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  3,  small,  petal-like,  of  a  joale  rose-color, 
falling   away  soon  after  the  flower  expands.     Corolla  absent.     Stamens 


HYDRASTIS.  65 

very  numerous,  liypogynous,  linear-spatulate  ;  anthers  oval,  innate.  Ova- 
ries 12  or  more,  2-ovuled  ;  styles  short,  stigmas  dilated,  2-lipped,  indupli- 
cate.  Fruit  a  crimson  head  of  baccate  1-  or  2-seeded  carpels,  succulent, 
and  resembling  a  large  raspberry.  Seeds  obovate ;  testa  crustaceous, 
nearly  black,  shining,  lined  with  a  thin  membranaceous  tegmen. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  with  a  horizontal  rhizome,  from  which  is  sent 
up  in  early  spring  a  simple  hairy  stem  6  to  12  inches  high,  bearing  two 
leaves,  and,  at  its  summit,  a  single  flower.  There  is  generally  also  a  single 
radical  leaf  on  a  long  petiole.  The  leaves  are  imlmately  3-  to  5-lobed,  the 
lobes  acute,  unequally  serrate  ;  the  lower  cauline  leaf  petiolate,  the  upper 
sessile.  The  leaves,  at  the  time  of  flowering,  are  small  and  not  fully  ex- 
panded, but  subsequently  they  increase  much  in  size,  ultimately  attaining 
a  width  of  5  to  6  inches. 

The  rhizome  is  one-half  inch  to  2  inches  in  length,  from  one-eight!^  to  one- 
half  inch  in  diameter,  simple,  or  with  a  few  short  branches,  terminated  by 
a  broad  scar,  longitudinally  wi'inkled,  annulate  from  leaf  scars,  and  bearing, 
especially  below,  numerous  small  fibrous  roots.  Both  rhizome  and  roots 
are  of  a  yellow  color,  and  have  an  intensely  bitter  taste,  without  astringency. 

Habitat. — Canada  to  Carolina  and  westward.  Bare  east  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies,  more  common  along  these  mountains  and  west  of  them.  Grows 
in  rich  moist  woods. 

Parts  Used.  —The  rhizome  and  rootlets —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — The  most  important  constituents  of  hydrastis  are  two 
alkaloids,  viz.  :  (1)  hydrastla,  a  white  crystalline  body,  tasteless  at  first, 
but  eventually  imparting  an  acrid  sensation  to  the  tongue  and  fauces — 
not  bitter,  as  sometimes  erroneously  stated  ;  (2)  herherina,  which  is  in  yel- 
low needle-shaped  crystals  and  has  an  intensely  bitter  taste.  The  latter 
alkaloid  is  found  in  numerous  plants  of  the  orders  Berber idaceai,  Ranun- 
culacece,  Menispermacece,  etc.  Besides  these  alkaloids,  hydrastis  contains 
starch,  sugar,  etc.,  and  traces  of  a  third  alkaloid,  which,  however,  exists  in 
such  small  proportion  as  to  be  of  no  practical  importance.  The  article  long 
known  as  hijdrastin,  and  extensively  used,  chiefly  by  eclectic  practitioners, 
is  an  impure  hydrochlorate  (muriate)  of  berberina.  Both  hydrastia  and 
berberina  unite  with  acids  to  form  salts,  and  it  is  in  the  form  of  salts  that 
they  are  usually  employed. 

Preparations. — Extractum  hydrastis  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  hydras- 
tis ;  tiuctura  hydrastis — tincture  of  hydrastis. —  United  States  Pharmaco- 
poeia. In  certain  cases  where  it  is  desirable  to  employ  large  doses,  the 
alkaloids  or  their  salts  are  more  eligible. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Numerous  and  diverse  properties  have 
been  attributed  to  hydrastis,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  there  is  Uttle  agree- 
ment among  different  authors  upon  the  subject.  That  it  is  a  powerful 
tonic  all  admit,  and  it  is  probable  that  to  its  tonic  action  alone  are  due  the 
many  widely  different  effects  observed  by  those  who  have  written  upon 


66  EANUNCULACEiE. 

the  drug.  It  has  been  used  successfully  as  a  substitute  for  quinine  in  the 
treatment  of  intermittents,  in  convalescence  from  acute  disease,  and  in 
general  where  a  vegetable  tonic  is  indicated.  This  fact  is  worthy  of  re- 
membrance, since  there  are  numerous  instances  in  which  quinine  is  indi- 
cated but  cannot  be  employed  on  account  of  idiosyncrasy.  It  is  not, 
however,  as  a  substitute  for  quinine  that  hydrastis  has  been  most  em- 
ployed or  has  gained  its  greatest  reputation.  It  seems  to  exert  an  es- 
pecially tonic  influence  upon  mucous  surfaces,  and  has  been  employed 
beneficially  in  a  great  variety  of  catarrhal  affections.  Prior  to  its  use  in 
scientific  medicine  it  had  been  employed  by  the  aborigines  as  a  topical  ap- 
plication in  catarrhal  affections  of  the  eyes  and  as  a  stimulant  to  old 
ulcers.  It  is  still  used  with  benefit  in  such  cases,  and  in  chronic  coi-yza, 
in  gonorrhcBa,  leucorrhoea,  hemorrhoids,  and  prolapsus  ani.  That  it 
exerts  q,n  influence  upon  the  liver  seems  well  demonstrated,  and  it  has 
been  used  with  benefit  in  torpid  conditions  of  this  organ,  and  in  catarrhal 
inflammation  of  the  gaU-bladder  and  gall-duct.  Though  not  directly 
cathartic  in  its  action,  in  certain  cases  of  habitual  constipation  it  produces 
a  laxative  effect.  It  has  been  employed  beneficially  in  glandular  swell- 
ings, undoubtedly  through  its  general  tonic  power,  and  hence  has  prob- 
ably derived  its  undeserved  reputation  as  a  remedy  for  cancer. 

XANTHORHIZA. 

Xanthorhiza  apiifolia  L'Heritier. — Yellow-Root,  Shrub  Yellow-Boot. 

Description. — Calyx :  sepals  5,  petal-hke,  deciduous,  spreading,  ovate- 
acuminate,  brownish-purple.  Corolla :  joetals  5,  very  small,  2-lobed,  ele- 
vated upon  a  claw,  colored  like  the  sepals.  Stamens  5  to  10,  hypogynous, 
filaments  thick,  purple,  anthers  adnate.  Ovaries  5  to  15,  each  bearing  two 
pendulous  ovules  attached  to  the  middle.  Pods  1-seeded,  oblong,  the  style 
becoming  lateral  during  development. 

A  shrubby  perennial,  1  to  3  feet  high,  with  a  large  rootstock  and  numer- 
ous round,  slightly  branched  stems.  Outer  bark  gray,  smooth,  and  shin- 
ing ;  within  bright  yellow.  Leaves  alternate,  unequally  1-  to  2-pinnate,  on 
long  stalks.  Leaflets  in  two  pairs  with  an  odd  terminal  one,  2  to  3  inches 
long,  rhomboid-ovate  or  lanceolate,  tapering  at  the  base,  sessile,  incisely 
lobed  and  dentate,  smooth,  dark  green  above,  lighter  beneath.  Flowers 
polygamous,  in  long,  drooping  compound  racemes,  appearing  from  April 
to  June.  The  rootstock  is  from  3  inches  to  1  foot  or  more  in  length,  from 
one-eighth  to  one-half  inch  in  thickness,  more  or  less  branched,  yellowish- 
brown  externally,  internally  of  a  deep  yellow,  and  having  an  exceedingly 
bitter  taste. 

Habitat. — Central  New  York  (one  station  only)  to  the  middle  and  upjjer 
districts  of  the  CaroUnas  and  Georgia,  chiefly  along  the  moiintains  and 
highlands. 


XANTHORHIZA. 


et 


Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  roots.  Formerly  official,  it  has  been 
cfiscarded  from  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — No  exact  analysis  seems  to  have  been  made  of  this  plant, 
though  it  has  been  shown  to  contain  berberina  in  small  proportion,  and 
probably  to  this  it  owes,  in  a  great  measure,  its  bitterness  and  tonic  prop- 
erties. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  official  preparations  of  yellow-root.  It 
yields  its  virtues  to  both  water  and  alcohol,  and  may  be  employed  in  tinct- 


'^ 


Fig.  98. — Xanthorhiza  apiifolia. 

ure,  decoction,  infusion,  or  even  in  powder,  though  in  the  latter  form  it 
would  be  difficult  to  administer  it  in  efficient  doses. 

3Iedical  Properties  and  Uses. — Like  hydrastis  and  coptis,  both  of  which 
it  resembles  in  respect  to  constituents,  xanthorhiza  possesses  simple 
bitter  tonic  properties.  It  has,  however,  a  much  smaller  percentage  of 
berberina  than  either  of  them,  and,  so  far  as  this  alkaloid  goes,  should 
therefore  be  less  efficient  when  administered  in  like  doses.  It  has  been 
employed  chiefly  as  a  domestic  remedy,  but  some  comjDetent  observers 
esteem  it  more  highly  than  either  gentian  or  calumba. 


68  RANUNCULACE.E. 

Cimicifuga  racemosa  Elliott  {Actcea  racemosa  Linne,  Macrotys  ser- 
pentaria  Eaton). — Black  Snakeroot,  Black  Cohosh,  Bugbane,  Squaw  Boot. 

Description. — Calyx :  sepals  4,  in  pairs,  the  inner  pair  smaller,  wliite, 
failing  soon  after  the  flower  expands.  Corolla  :  petals  4  to  6,  small,  stamen- 
like, on  claws,  2-hornecI  at  the  apex.  Stamens  numerous,  with  slender  white 
filaments,  hypogynous  ;  anthers  adnate.  Ovary  solitary,  flask- shajDed,  1- 
celled,  with  about  10  sessile  ovules  in  two  rows,  no  style,  stigma  sessile, 
forming  a  dry  pod  in  fruit. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  with  a  short,  thick,  horizontal  rootstock,  from 
which  spring  several  simple  stems,  4  to  8  feet  high,  bearing,  about  midway, 
large,  decompound  leaves,  and  at  the  summit  long,  wand-like  tracemes. 
Leaves  2  to  3,  the  lower  very  large,  the  upper  smaller,  alternate,  on  strong, 
round,  partially  clasping  petioles,  ternate,  the  primary  divisions  bi-jDinnate ; 
leaflets  1  to  3  inches  long,  cut-serrate,  the  terminal  one  largest,  and  more 
or  less  3-divided,  thin,  smooth,  of  a  bright  green  color.  Flowers  very 
numerous,  about  one-half  inch  in  diameter,  in  simple  or  sparsely  branched 
racemes,  8  to  12  inches  long  ;  pedicels  about  one-fourth  inch  long,  bracts 
subulate,  rachis  pubescent.  The  plant  flowers  early  in  July  in  the  latitude 
of  New  York,  and  continues  in  bloom  during  some  weeks,  ripening  its 
fruit  in  September.  Khizome  2  to  6  or  more  inches  in  length,  one-haK 
to  1  inch  thick,  horizontal,  somewhat  flattened,  irregularly  corrugated  and 
knotted,  simple  or  branched,  thickly  beset  above  with  the  scars  and  stumps 
of  fallen  stems,  and  laterally  and  beneath  with  long,  strong  roots,  one- 
twelfth  to  one-eighth  inch  in  diameter.  Scattered  irregularly  among  the 
stumps  of  previous  stems  are  a  number  of  terminal  buds  prepared  for  the 
next  season's  stems.  The  rhizome  and  roots  of  recent  growth  are  of  a 
dark  reddish-brown  color,  the  older  portion  of  the  rhizome  almost  black  ; 
its  odor  is  earthy  and  unpleasant,  and  its  taste  bitter  and  nauseous. 

Habitat. — Common  everywhere  from  Canada  to  Georgia,  growing  in 
rich  open  woodlands  and  upon  hillsides,  but  avoiding  very  wet  or  rocky 
places.  "When  in  bloom  its  long  and  graceful  racemes  form  a  conspicuous 
feature  of  the  localities  where  it  grows. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — United  States  Pharmacoj^ceia. 
Official  name  :   Cimicifuga — Black  Snakeroot. 

Constituents. — Numerous  analyses  have  been  made  of  this  jplant  with- 
out, however,  yielding  any  very  satisfactory  result  when  considered  from 
a  therapeutic  standpoint.  In  addition  to  the  common  plant  constituents 
like  starch,  gum,  tannic  and  gallic  acids,  mineral  salts,  etc.,  a  small  pro- 
portion of  volatile  oil,  having  the  peculiar  odor  of  the  fi-esh  drug,  was  de- 
tected by  one  analyst,  besides  two  resins  of  different  character.  Another 
analyst  found  no  volatile  oil,  but  isolated  a  crystalline  substance,  probably 
a  neutral  principle,  whose  alcoholic  solution  has  an  intensely  acrid  taste. 
That  the  fresh  drug  possesses  some  active  volatile  principle  would  seem 
probable  from  the  fact  that  it  certainly  deteriorates  by  keeping,  and  all 


ACT.EA BANEBERRY.  69 

observers  who  have  had  experience  in  the  matter  agree  that  it  is  thera- 
peutically much  more  active  when  fresli  than  when  long  kept. 

Preparations. — Extractum  'cimicifugse  liuidum — fluid  extract  of  cimi- 
cifuga  ;  tinctura  cimicil'ugje — tincture  of  cimiciinQn,.— United  States  Phar- 
macopceia.  Of  the  unofficial  preparations,  the  one  most  employed  is  an 
impure  resin  termed  cimicifugia  or  macrotin,  obtained  by  precipitation 
fi'om  an  alcoholic  tincture  with  water.  The  drug  may  also  be  adminis- 
tered in  substance  or  in  decoction,  though  the  latter  form  is  objectionable 
since  water  does  not  completel}'  extract  its  virtues. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — In  small  or  moderate  doses  cimicifuga  is 
a  tonic  which  may  be  usefully  employed  in  a  great  variety  of  affections,  as 
enfeebled  condition  of  the  digestive  system  due  to  alcoholism,  fevers, 
phthisis,  bronchitis,  etc.  It  has  been  employed  also  in  acute  and  chronic 
rheumatism,  amenorrhoea,  dys'menorrhoea,  and  in  cardiac  disease,  where  it 
acts  like,  but  less  efficiently  than,  digitalis.  It  has  been  used  as  an  aid  to 
parturition  instead  of  ergot,  and  after  delivery  to  relieve  after-pains,  in 
puerperal  mania  and  convulsions,  and  as  a  remedy  for  chorea,  especially 
when  of  rheumatic  origin.  In  very  large  doses  it  produces  a  decided 
sedative  effect,  causing  vertigo,  dilatation  of  the  pupil,  and  a  tendency  to 
somnolence.  "  To  obtain  curative  effects  from  cimicifuga,  it  must  be  ad- 
ministered in  sufficiently  large  doses  to  produce  some  of  its  cerebral  ef- 
fects. " — Bartholow. 

ACT^  A.  — B  ANEBERRY. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Sepals  4  to  5,  falling  when  the  flower  expands. 
Petals  4  to  10,  small,  flat,  spatulate,  on  slender  claws.  Stamens  numerous, 
hypogynous,  with  slender  white  filaments.  Ovary  solitary,  stigma  sessile. 
Fruit  a  many-seeded  berry  ;  seeds  compressed,  smooth,  horizontal.  Per- 
ennial herbs,  -svith  bi-ternately  divided  leaves,  and  flowers  in  a  thick  termi- 
nal raceme. 

Actaea  spicata  Linne,  var.  rubra  Michaux. — Red  Baneberry. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  4,  ovate,  greenish.  Corolla  :  petals  often 
8  to  10,  white,  oval,  acute,  much  shorter  than  the  stamens.  Stamens  nu- 
merous ;  filaments  filiform.  Ovary  smooth,  white  ;  stigma  oval,  2-lobed, 
recurved  at  the  ends.  Berries  red,  shining,  about  16-seeded,  on  long 
pedicels  about  one-fourth  the  size  of  the  common  j^eduncle. 

Stem  roundish,  smooth,  about  2  feet  high,  with  bi-  or  tri-ternately  di- 
vided leaves,  on  long  smooth  petioles,  partly  sheathing  at  the  base  ;  leaflets 
ovate,  sharply  cut,  and  toothed.  Kacemes  ovate  or  hemispherical,  appear- 
ing in  April  and  May.  Rhizome  closely  resembling  that  of  cimicifuga, 
which  see. 

Habitat. — Rich  woods  from  Hudson's  Bay  to  Penns3'lvania  and  westward 
to  the  Rocky  Mountains.     Less  common  than  the  following. 


70 


EANUNCULACE^. 


Actaea  alba  Bigelow. —  White  Baneherry. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  4,  oblong,  white.  Corolla  :  petals  4  to  8,  as 
long  as  the  stamens,  slender,  mostly  truncate  at  the  ends,  stamen-like, 
■white  ;  filaments  shorter  than  in  the  preceding  species.  Ovary  and  stigma 
like  those  of  the  preceding.  Berries  white,  tipped  with  red,  about  8-seed- 
ed,  on  thickened,  red  pedicels  the  size  of  the  common  peduncle.  Stem  and 
leaves  larger  and  rather  smoother  than  the  preceding.     Khizome  similar. 


Fig.  99.— Actfea  alba. 

Kacemes  oblong,  the  flowers  appearing  a  week  or  two  later  than  those  of 
the  other  species. 

Habitat. — Eich  woods  from  Canada  to  Georgia  and  westward  to  the 
Mississippi. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  roots — not  official. 

Constituents. — Nothing  definite  is  known  as  to  the  composition  of  these 
plants,  though  they  are  supposed  to  possess  properties  similar  to  those  of 
cimicifuga. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  commercial  preparations  of  the  American 


MAGNOLIA. 


n 


species  of  actsea.     From  the  ai3parent  similarity  of  the  plants  to  cimicifuga, 
they  might  safely  be  administered  in  like  manner. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — As  ah-eady  remarked,  the  chemical  con- 
stituents of  actpea  are  supposed  to  be  similar  to  those  of  cimicifuga,  and 
therefore  the  former  might  be  substituted  for  the  latter  in  case  of  necessity, 
though  such  necessity  is  scarcely  to  be  supposed.  As  domestic  remedies 
both  species  have  been  employed,  though  rarely.  In  scientific  medicine 
they  have  seldom  been  mentioned. 


MACNOLIACE>E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Trees  or  shrubs  with  alternate,  coriaceous  leaves, 
and  convolute  stipules  which  cover  the  buds  and  are  deciduous.  Sepals 
usually  3  to  G,  deciduous  ;  j)etals  3  or  more,  imbricated ;  stamens  numerous, 
distinct ;  anthers  adnate  ;  carpels  1-celled,  numerous,  on  an  elevated  re- 
cejDtacle,  in  fruit  forming  a  sort  of  fleshy  or  diy  cone. 

The  order  comprises  about  a  dozen  genera  and  more  than  seventy 
species,  very  few  of  which,  however,  are  indigenous  to  North  America. 
The  flowers  of  many  species  are  fragrant  and  ornamental.  As  a  whole  the 
magnoliacese  are  characterized  by  aromatic  tonic  properties. 


MAGNOLIA. 


3  ;  petals  6  to  12, 
and 


Stamens  numerous, 


Character  of  the  Genus. — Sepals 
imbricated,  with  short  filaments, 
long  anthers,  the  latter  opening  inward. 
Pistils  numerous,  crowded  upon  the 
elongated  torus,  cohering,  and  in  fruit 
forming  a  fleshy  and  somewhat  woody 
conical  mass.  Carpels  dehiscent  upon 
the  back,  1-  or  2-seeded,  the  seeds  at 
maturity  being  suspended  from  the  open 
capsules  by  an  extensile  thread  of  spiral 
vessels.  Trees  or  shrubs.  Leaves  al- 
ternate, or  clustered  at  the  summit  of 
the  branches.  Flowers  large,  solitary, 
terminal.  Stipules  large,  adnate  to  the 
petiole,  deciduous. 

Magnolia  glauca  Linne. — Small 
or  Laurel  Magnolia. 

Description.— C(i\yx:  sepals  3,  mem- 
branaceous, spatulate,  concave,  resem- 
bUng  petals  but  much  less  delicate.  Co- 
rolla :  petals  9  to  12,  ovate,  narrowed  at 
the  base,  concave,  erect,  arranged  in  circles  of  three.    Seeds  obovate,  scarlet. 

A  shrub  5  to  20  feet  high,  with  divaricating  branches  and  smooth,  gray- 


FiG.  100.— Magnolia  glauca. 


72  MAGNOLIACE^. 

ish  bark.  Leaves  olDloiig  or  oval,  obtuse,  coriaceous,  of  a  deep  yellowish- 
green  above  and  glaucous  or  bluish-white  beneath.  Bark  of  young  twigs 
smooth,  bright  green.  Flowers  globular,  about  2  inches  in  diameter,  creamy- 
white,  and  very  fragrant.    Cone  of  the  fruit  oval,  1  to  1^  inch  long,  greenish. 

Habitat. — In  swamps  from  Cape  Ann  north  of  Boston,  south  to  Florida 
mostly  near  the  coast,  though  occasionally  found  some  distance  inland. 
North  of  Southern  New  Jersey  it  is  not  very  common,  nor  does  it  attain 
any  considerable  size.  In  its  northern  stations  the  leaves  are  deciduous, 
but  southward  they  become  persistent.  In  the  latitude  of  New  York  it 
blooms  in  May  and  June,  and  at  this  season  the  flowers  are  collected  in 
large  quantities  for  sale  in  the  cities.  It  is  known  by  a  variety  of  local 
names,  as  Sweet  Bay,  White  Bay,  Swamp  Sassafras,  Beaver  Tree,  etc. 

Magnolia  acuminata  Linne. — Cucumber  Tree. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  3.  Corolla :  petals  6  to  9,  oblong-ovate, 
scarcely  expanding,  glaucous-green  tinged  with  yellow.  Fruit  cylindrical, 
about  3  inches  long  ;  when  green  somewhat  resembling  a  j'oung  cucum- 
ber, whence  the  common  name. 

A  large  tree,  60  to  80  feet  high  and  4  to  5  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base. 
Leaves  scattered,  oblong,  acuminate,  6  to  9  inches  long,  green  above,  slightly 
pubescent  beneath,  deciduous.  Flowers  3  to  4  inches  in  diameter,  slightly 
fragrant,  apjDearing  in  May  and  June. 

Habitat. — From  Western  New  York  south  to  Georgia  and  west  to  Ohio, 
in  rich  woods.  In  the  Southern  States  it  is  confined  to  mountainous  dis- 
tricts. The  wood  somewhat  resembles  bass-wood  {Tilia),  though  it  is  more 
compact,  and  is  applied  to  the  same  uses. 

Magnolia  Umbrella  Lam.  {M.  tripetala  Ij.). — Umbrella  Tree. 

Description. — Calyx :  sepals  3.  Corolla :  petals  9,  oblong-lanceolate, 
acute,  white.     Fruit  oblong,  4  to  6  inches  long,  rose-colored. 

A  small  tree,  25  to  35  feet  high,  with  irregular  branches.  Leaves  clus- 
tered at  the  summit  of  the  branches,  oblong-lanceolate,  12  to  18  inches  long, 
pointed  at  both  ends,  downy  beneath,  soon  becoming  smooth,  deciduous. 
Flowers  4  to  6  inches  in  diameter,  white,  of  an  unpleasant  odor,  appearing 
in  May  and  June. 

Habitat. — From  Pennsylvania  southward  and  westward,  in  deep,  rich 
soils  and  shady  locations. 

Part  Used. — The  hark— United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  Official  name, 
Magnolia. 

Constituents. — Both  the  root  and  stem  bark  of  the  above-described 
species  of  magnolia  contain  an  aromatic  and  a  bitter  princii^le  :  the  former 
being  volatile  is  diminished  by  desiccation  and  entirely  lost  when  the  bark 
is  kept  for  a  length  of  time.  The  bitter  principle  is  permanent,  but  has 
not  been  isolated  ;  it  is  not  associated  with  any  astringent.  A  crystalline 
principle  has  been  discovered  in  some  of  the  species,  but  its  therapeutic 
action,  if  it  have  any,  has  not  been  demonstrated. 


LIRIODENDEOlSr.  73 

PrqMvations. — There  are  no  official  preparations.  The  "bark  yields  its 
virtues  readily  to  diluted  alcohol,  and  a  tincture  prepared  by  means  of 
this  menstruum  is  an  eligible  form  in  which  to  administer  the  drug.  It 
may  also  be  given  in  powder  or  infusion,  though  in  the  latter  form  the 
aromatic  property  is  greatly  diminished.  A  tincture  of  the  seeds  is  also 
said  to  be  an  efficient  preparation. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Magnolia  is  an  aromatic  bitter  tonic. 
If  administered  freely  it  may  induce  diaphoresis  and  thus  be  useful  in 
febrile  affections.  It  is  said  to  exert  an  antiperiodic  influence  in  inter- 
mittent and  remittent  fevers,  and  has  long  been  a  favorite  domestic 
remedy  for  these  diseases  in  regions  where  the  bark  is  readily  accessible. 
Even  in  full  doses  it  produces  none  of  the  disagreeable  cephalic  effects 
of  cinchona,  and  therefore  is  worthy  of  trial  when  from  any  reason  the 
latter  or  its  alkaloids  cannot  be  borne.  It  has  been  used  with  asserted 
benefit  in  both  acute  and  chronic  rheumatism.  In  some  forms  of  dyspep- 
sia it  is  also  commended. 

LIRIODENDRON. 

Liriodendron  Tulipifera  Linne. — Tidip  Tree. 

Description. — Calyx :  sepals  3,  oblong,  obtuse,  concave,  spreading, 
petal-like,  deciduous.  Corolla :  petals  6,  in  two  rows,  oblong,  obtuse, 
concave  at  the  base,  2  inches  long,  greenish-yellow  marked  with  orange, 
slightly  spreading,  forming  a  bell-shaped  flower.  Stamens  numerous, 
hypogynous,  shorter  than  the  petals,  inserted  upon  a  conical  receptacle  ; 
anthers  linear,  opening  outward.  Pistils  numerous,  flat,  long  and  nar- 
row, imbricating  and  cohering  together,  forming  an  elongated  cone. 
Fruit  cone-shaped,  made  up  of  numerous  imbricated,  1-celled,  2-seeded, 
indehiscent,  samara-like  seed-vessels,  which  are  in  form  lanceolate,  com- 
pressed, and  at  the  base  triangular  and  tumid.  The  entire  mass  of  seed- 
vessels  is  coherent  until  maturity,  when  they  fall  from  the  stems  in  a 
body  or  separate  from  each  other  and  fall  singly. 

A  large  tree,  often  attaining  the  height  of  100  feet,  with  a  diameter 
at  the  base  of  4  or  5  feet.  In  very  favorable  circumstances  it  has  been 
known  to  grow  much  larger,  attaining  a  height  of  140  feet,  with  a  diam- 
eter of  8  or  9  feet.  The  trunk  is  nearly  straight,  the  branches  some- 
Avhat  scattered,  and,  compared  with  the  size  of  the  tree,  rather  small  below 
but  larger  toward  the  top.  When  growing  in  the  forest  the  stem  for 
thirty  or  forty  feet  is,  in  general,  free  of  branches,  but  under  other  circum- 
stances the  lowest  branches  are  much  nearer  the  ground.  The  leaves  are 
alternate,  on  long  footstalks,  and  when  fully  grown  are  from  4  to  8  inches 
in  length,  by  about  the  same  in  breadth,  somewhat  cordate  at  the  base  and 
more  or  less  deeply  4-lobed,  two  of  the  lobes  being  at  the  base  and  two  at 
the  apex,  the  latter  separated  from  each  other  by  a  broad  and  shallow 


74  •  JIAGNOLIACE^. 

notch,  which  gives  the  leaf  the  appearance  of  having  been  cut  off.  Above 
the  leaves  are  smooth  and  shining,  of  a  dark  yellowish-green  ;  underneatL 
much  lighter,  and  strongly  veined.  The  flowers  are  2  to  3  inches  in  di- 
ameter, beautifully  tinted,  resembling  some  varieties  of  the  tulip,  whence 
the  common  name,  and,  as  they  are  produced  in  immense  numbers,  add 
greatly  to  the  beauty  of  this  majestic  tree  during  the  period  of  its  inflo- 
rescence. The  flowers  appear,  in  the  latitude  of  New  York,  about  the  first 
of  June,  when  the  tree  is  in  full  leaf. 

Habitat. — From  Canada  to  Florida  and  westward  to  Eastern  Kansas, 
growing  more  luxuriantly  in  rich  moist  ground,  though  occurring  not  un- 
frequently  in  elevated  and  dry  situations.  Under  the  name  of  white  wood 
it  is  extensively  used  in  cabinet  work,  in  the  inner  wood-work  of  houses? 
for  carriage  panels,  etc.  In  some  sections  of  the  country  it  is  known  as 
white  poplar,  in  others  yeUoiv  pioplar ;  both  unfortunate  ajDjoellations,  since 
it  in  no  way  resembles  the  true  poplars,  but  is,  on  the  contrary,  a  tree  ,si«|i 
generis,  being  the  only  species  of  its  genus  in  the  known  world. 

Part  Used. — The  bark,  taken  indiscriminately  from  the  root,  trunk,  or 
branches — not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — The  bark  of  the  tulip  tree  has  a  pungent,  aromatic,  bitter 
taste,  and  to  analysis  yields  a  crystalline  principle,  termed  liriodendrin, 
having  the  same  sensible  properties.  Whatever  medicinal  effects  may  be 
attributed  to  the  drug  are  doubtless  due  to  this  princij)le.  It  may  be 
obtained  in  a  crj'stalliue  form  from  the  alcoholic  tincture,  or  as  an  amor- 
phous powder  from  the  infusion.  It  exists  in  greater  j)roportiou  in  the 
fresh  bark  than  in  that  which  has  been  long  kejDt. 

Prepjarations. — There  are  no  official  preparations,  nor  is  the  active 
principle  prepared  in  commercial  quantities.  The  drug  may  be  admii.is- 
tered  in  powder,  or  in  the  form  of  infusion  or  tincture.  The  earjier 
writers,  from  whom  most  of  our  knowledge  of  this  subject  comes,  jDreferred 
to  administer  it  in  substance. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Like  magnolia,  the  tulip  tree  possesses 
aromatic,  bitter  tonic  properties.  Some  of  the  earlier  writers  upon  Amer- 
ican medicinal  plants  considered  it  nearly,  if  not  altogether,  as  efficacious 
as  cinchona  in  the  treatment  of  intermittent  fevers.  It  was,  however, 
administered  in  combination  with  flowering  dogwood  [Cornus  florid  a), 
probably  a  much  more  efficient  drug.  It  has  also  been  used  as  a  stimu- 
lant diaphoretic  in  both  acute  and  chronic  rheumatism,  and  as  a  simple 
tonic  in  dyspeptic  ailments,  and  in  convalescence  from  acute  d^'sentery 
and  other  acute  diseases.  At  j)resent  it  can  scarcely  be  said  to  hold  a 
place  in  scientific  medicine,  and  even  as  a  domestic  remedy  it  is  probably 
seldom  employed. 


PLATE 


\       A\, 


LIRIODENDRON    TULIPIFERA. 


Plate  II. — Liriodendron  tulipifera. 

Fig.  1. — Flowering  branch,  one-lialf  natural  size. 
Fig.  2. — Mature  fruit,  one-half  natural  size. 
Fig.  3. — Single  seed-vessel,  natural  size. 


MENISPERMUM — MOONSEED.  75 

MENISPERMACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Shrubby  climbing  vines,  with  alternate,  pal- 
mate, or  peltate  leaves,  on  slender  petioles,  without  stipules  ;  liowers  small, 
dicecious  or  polygamous,  in  axillary  racemes  or  panicles ;  sepals  and  pet- 
als similar,  in  three  or  more  rows,  imbricated  in  the  bud  ;  stamens  6  or 
more,  hypogynous ;  ovaries  3  to  6  ;  fruit  a  1-seeded  drupe  with  a  long  curved 
embryo  in  scanty  albumen. 

An  order  comprising  about  sixty  genei'a,  mostly  tropical,  three  only,  and 
of  each  but  a  single  species,  being  natives  of  the  United  States.  Of  exotic 
species,  Calumba  (Jateorrhiza  calumba  Miers),  Pareira  (  Chondodendron  to- 
mentosum  Ruiz  et  Pavon),  and  Cocculus  Indicus  [Anamirta  paniculata  Cole- 
brooke)  are  among  the  best  known  and  most  important. 

MENISPERMUM.  — Moonseed. 

IVIenlspermum  Canadense  Linne. — Canadian  Moonseed. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  4  to  8,  ovate-oblong,  greenish-yellow.  Co- 
rolla :  petals  6  to  8,  much  smaller  than  the  sepals,  orbicular,  obtusely  cuneate 
at  the  base.  Stamens  12  to  20  in  the  sterile  flowers,  as  long  as  the  sepals  ; 
anthers  of  4  spherical  lobes.  Pistils  2  to  4  in  the  fertile  flowers,  raised  on  a 
short  common  receptacle.  Fruit  a  stipitate,  globular  drupe,  about  one- 
third  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  nearly  black,  the  pulp  small  in  quantity. 
After  flowering  the  pistil  in  development  becomes  incurved,  so  that  the 
mark  of  the  stigma  is  near  the  base  of  the  drupe,  and  the  stone,  laterally 
compressed,  forms  an  almost  complete  ring,  or  is  lunate,  whence  the  com- 
mon name. 

Stem  shrubby  at  the  base,  or  entirely  herbaceous,  8  to  15  feet  or 
more  in  length,  slender,  sjDringing  from  a  long  and  freely  rooted  rhizome. 
Leaves  3  to  4  inches  in  length  and  of  somewhat  greater  breadth,  peltate 
near  the  edge,  3-  to  7-angled  or  lobed,  pubescent  on  the  veins,  dark  green 
above,  glaucous  beneath ;  petioles  about  as  long  as  the  leaves.  The  flowers 
appear  in  Jmie  and  July ;  the  fruit  ripens  in  September,  is  covered  with  a 
bloom,  and  resembles  small  clusters  of  frost  grapes.  In  addition  to  its 
common  name  of  moonseed,  it  also  bears  that  of  yelloiv  sarsajjarilla,  and 
yellow  parilla,  the  latter  evidently  a  contraction  of  the  former.  At  one 
time  it  was  introduced  into  commerce  as  Texas  sarsaparilla,  and  was  em- 
ploj'ed  to  some  extent  as  a  substitute  for  time  sarsaparilla  (Smilax  offici- 
nalis). 

Habitat.— In  moist  woods  and  along  the  banks  of  streams,  from  Canada 
to  the  Carolinas  and  westward  ;  common. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — United  States  Pharmacopma. 

Constituents. — In  an  analysis  of  moonseed  made  by  Professor  Maisch 
there  was  found  a  small  quantity  of  berberina,  and  a  larger  proportion  of 


*I6  BERBEEIDACE^. 

a  white  alkaloid,  soluble  in  ether  and  alcohol,  and  sparingly  in  water.  Its 
other  constituents  were  not  determined,  but  are  probably  unimportant. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  official  preparations  of  moonseed.  It 
yields  its  virtues  to  water  and  alcohol,  and  may  be  administered  in  decoc- 
tion or  tinctiu'e. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Moonseed  is  said  to  be  tonic,  alterative, 
and  diuretic.  If  these  reputed  properties  depend  to  any  considerable  ex- 
tent upon  the  berberina  present  in  the  drug,  they  must,  of  necessity,  be 
of  a  feeble  character,  since  the  proportion  of  this  alkaloid  is  small.  The 
therapeutic  activity  of  the  white  alkaloid  has  not  been  demonstrated.  As 
stated  above,  moonseed  was  at  one  time  employed  as  a  substitute  for  sarsa- 
parilla,  to  which  it  was,  by  some  observers,  pronounced  superior  as  an  al- 
terative. Inasmuch,  however,  as  the  medicinal  virtues  of  sarsaparilla  itself 
are  of  a  rather  doubtful  character,  this  recommendation  of  moonseed  is  not 
particularly  convincing.  It  is  probable  that  the  plant,  by  virtue  of  its  bit- 
terness, which  it  shares  with  calumba  and  other  species  of  the  menisj)er- 
macese,  and  which  is  due,  at  least  in  part,  to  berberina,  possesses  feeble 
tonic  powers,  and  that  whatever  effects  it  may  cause,  or  seem  to  cause, 
are  due  merely  to  its  tonic  action.  Taking  this  view  of  the  subject,  one 
can  readily  see  how  it  might  occasionally  be  beneficial  in  scrofulous,  cuta- 
neous, arthritic,  rheumatic,  sj-phihtic,  and  mercurial  diseases,  for  all  of 
which  it  has  been  recommended. 


BERBERIDACE/E. 

Character  of  tJie  Order. — Shrubs  or  herbaceous  perennials  with  alter- 
nate or  radical,  compound,  often  spiny  leaves  ;  sepals  and  petals  in  two 
or  more  rows  of  2  to  4  each,  imbricated  in  the  bud,  deciduous  ;  stamens 
as  many  as  the  petals,  and  opposite  them,  hypogynous  ;  anthers  2-celled, 
opening  upward  by  valves  hinged  at  the  top  ;  ovary  solitary,  l-celled  ; 
fruit  a  berry  or  capsule,  1-  or  many-seeded. 

Podophyllum  and  Jeffersonia  differ  in  some  respects  from  the  general 
structure  of  the  order,  both  being  many-seeded,  the  former  having  more 
stamens  than  petals  and  the  latter  having  the  sepals  in  one  row. 

The  order  comprises  about  a  dozen  genera  and  more  than  one  hundred 
species.  Seven  genera  are  represented  in  the  United  States,  and  four  of 
these  comprise  species  of  medicinal  value.  In  general  they  possess  acrid 
and  bitter  properties. 

BERBERIS.  —Barberry. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Sepals  6,  orbicular,  with  2  to  6  bractlets  out- 
side. Petals  6,  obovate,  concave,  shorter  than  the  sepals,  with  two  glan- 
dular spots   inside  above  the  short  claws.     Stamens  6,  irritable.     Stjde 


BERBEEIS BARBERRY. 


n 


short ;  stigma  circular,   depressed.     Fruit  a  1-  to  9-seeded  berry  ;    seeds 
erect,  with  a  crustaceous  integument. 

Shrubs  with  yellow  inner  bark  and  wood,  bristly  serrate,  often  spiny 
1-  to  9-foliate  leaves.     Yellow  flowers  in  drooping  racemes,  and  acid  fruit. 

Berberis  vulgaris   Linne. — Common  Barberry. 

Description. — Flower  and  fruit  as  in  the  generic  description  above. 
Leaves  on  the  young  shoots  mostly  reduced  to  sharp  triple  or  branched 
spines  ;  on  older  branches  they  are  i^roduced  in  clusters  or  rosettes,  and 
are  ovate-oblong,  with  sharp  bristly  teeth.  The  flowers,  in  long  drooping 
racemes,  are  produced  from  the  axils 
of  these  leaves.  The  berries  are  ob- 
long, 2-seeded,  scarlet,  and  possess  a 
gratefull}^  acid  and  somewhat  astrin- 
gent taste. 

A  shrub,  4  to  8  feet  in  height, 
diffusely  branched  at  the  top,  with  a 
w^hitish  or  light  gray,  shining  bark 
on  the  3'oung  shoots,  and  a  much 
darker  gray  on  the  old  stems.  Flow- 
ers in  May  and  June  and  matures  its 
fruit  in  autumn. 

Habitat. — Common  barberry  is  a 
native  of  Europe,  but  has  become 
naturalized  and  grows  wild  in  some 
sections  of  New  England.  It  is  com- 
mon in  cultivation  all  over  the  country 
as  an  ornamental  shrub. 

Berberis  Canadensis  Pm-sh. — 
American  Barberry. 

Description. — Flowers  and  fruit  as 
in  the  generic  description  above. 
Petals  notched  at  the  aj)ex.  Leaves 
repandly  toothed,  and  less  bristly 
pointed  than  in  preceding  species. 
Racemes  fewer  flowered.    Berries  oval. 

A  shrub  from  1  to  3  feet  in  height.  Formerly  considered  by  many 
botanists  a  mere  variety  of  B.  vulgaris.     Flowers  in  May  and  June. 

Habitat. — Mountainous  regions  from  Virginia  to  Georgia. 

Berberis  Aquifolium  Fnrsh.— Holly-leaved  Barberry. 

Description. — Calyx:  sepals  suborbicular,  membranaceous.  Corolla: 
petals  connivent,  the  innermost  bifid  at  the  apex.     Berries  dark  i3urj)le. 

A  shrub  from  2  to  5  feet  in  height,  with  evergreen,  pinnate  leaves  ; 
leaflets  in  3  to  6  pairs,  with  an  odd  terminal  one,  coriaceous,  ovate-lanceo- 
late or  elKptical-oblong,  inequilateral  or  slightly  cordate  at  the  base,  repand 


Fig.  101. — Berberis  vulgaris. 


78  BERBERIDACE^. 

with  tliorny  or  spiny  teeth,  resembling  those  of  holly,  whence  the  specific 
name. 

Habitat. — "Western  coast  of  North  America,  from  Oregon  southward, 

Fai'ts  Used. — The  bark  of  the  stem  and  root,  and  the  berries — not 
official. 

Constituents. — The  most  important  constituent  of  barberry  is  undoubt- 
edly berberina,  which,  however,  is  jDresent  in  only  small  proportion — much 
smaller  than  in  hydrastis.  Another  princi^Dle,  oxycanthin,  sometimes  called 
berberia,  is  present,  also  in  small  proportion.  This  is  a  white  alkaloid, 
soluble  in  ether,  alcohol,  and  chloroform,  nearly  insoluble  in  water,  and 
has  a  bitter  taste.  The  other  constituents  of  the  bark  are  iinimj)ortant. 
The  berries  are  pleasantly  acid,  but  have  no  constituents  of  special  value. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  official  preparations.  The  bark  yields  its 
virtues  to  alchol  and  water,  and  may  be  administered  in  tincture  or  in- 
fusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Whatever  therapeutic  effect  may  be  pro- 
duced by  barberry  is  undoubtedly  due  to  its  most  active  princijole,  ber- 
berina. As  this  is  present  in  but  small  projDortion,  the  bark  cannot  be  a 
very  active  agent.  The  European  species,  B.  vulgaris,  has  been  used  to 
some  extent  as  a  tonic,  chiefly  in  domestic  practice.  The  American  species 
have  also  been  experimented  with,  but  are  not  much  esteemed.  The  berries 
are  sometimes  used  to  prepare  a  cooling  and  refreshing  drink  in  fevers,  etc. 

CAULOPHYLLUM.— Blue   Cohosh. 

Caulophyllum  thalictroides  Michaux. — Blue  Cohosh. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  6,  ovate-bblong,  greenish-yellow,  with  3 
small  bracts  at  their  base.  Corolla  :  petals  6,  reniform  or  hooded,  thick 
and  gland-like,  with  short  claws,  much  shorter  than  the  sepals,  and  oppo- 
site them.  Stamens  6,  hypogynous,  opposite  the  petals,  with  short,  thick 
filaments  ;  anthers  ovate  or  oblong,  ojDening  upward  by  two  valves  hinged 
at  the  top.  Pistil  solitary,  gibbous ;  style  short ;  stigma  minute  and 
unilateral.  The  ovary  bursts  soon  after  flowering  by  the  development  of 
the  seeds,  which  are  thus  left  naked  on  their  thick  stalks,  and,  having  a 
blue,  fleshy  integument,  they  look  like  drupes. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  with  a  nearly  horizontal,  somewhat  branched 
and  knotty  rhizome,  from  which  springs  a  simple  smooth  and  glaucous 
stem,  1  to  2h  feet  in  height,  bearing  at  its  summit  a  small  raceme  or  pani- 
cle of  greenish-yellow  flowers,  and  a  little  below  a  large,  sessile,  triternately 
compound  leaf.  Leaflets  1  to  2^  inches  long,  about  half  as  broad,  ob- 
ovate  wedge-shaped,  2-  to  3-lobed,  the  lateral  ones  sessile,  the  terminal 
petiolulate,  A  smaller  triternate  leaf  is  sometimes  situated  at  the  base  of 
the  panicle. 

The  flowers  appear  in  April  or  May,  while  the  leaf  is  yet  small ;  the  fruit 


JEFP^EKSONIA TWIN-LEAF.  79 

matures  in  August.  The  plant  is  known  in  various  sections  of  the  country 
as  Pappoose  Root,  Squaw  Root,  and  Blueberry  Root. 

Habitat. — In  rich,  moist  woods  from  Canada  to  South  Carohuaand  west- 
ward.    A  very  common  plant,  and  quite  widely  distributed. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — United  States  Pharmacopceia. 

Constituents. — In  addition  to  the  ordinary  constituents  of  plants,  such 
as  albumen,  gum,  starch,  mineral  salts,  etc.,  there  have  been  found  in 
caulophyllum  two  resins,  and  a  principle  analogous  to  saponin.  The  resins, 
in  an  impure  condition,  are  obtained  by  precipitation  from  the  concentrated 
alcoholic  tincture  with  water.  The  precipitate,  which  amounts  to  twelve 
per  cent,  of  the  root  employed,  is  known  as  caidophyllin.  It  has  a  sweetish- 
bitter  and  afterward  somewhat  acrid  taste,  similar  to  that  of  the  root, 
and  probably  represents  whatever  activity  the  plant  is  possessed  of. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  official  preparations  of  caulophyllum.  As 
the  root  yields  its  virtues  to  alcohol,  it  may  be  administered  in  tincture,  or 
in  the  form  of  the  so-called  caulophyllin,  a  commercial  article  readily  ob- 
tainable. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Antispasmodic,  demulcent,  diajDhoretic, 
diuretic,  emmenagogue,  and  parturient  properties  have  been  attributed  to 
this  plant,  but  upon  what  evidence  it  is  difficult  to  decide.  Rafinesque 
says  that  "  as  a  powerful  emmenagogue  it  promote  delivery,  menstruation, 
and  dropsical  discharges,"  and  that  it  was  used  "by  the  Indians  and  their 
imitators  for  rheumatism,  drops}^,  colic,  sore  throat,  cramp,  hiccough,  epi- 
lepsy, hysterics,  inflammation  of  the  uterus,  etc."  It  would  seem  that 
many  authors,  in  writing  upon  this  plant  since  the  time  of  Rafinesque,  have 
repeated  his  assertions  in  one  form  or  another,  not  only  without  question 
but  generally  without  credit  also.  At  any  rate,  little  seems  to  have  been 
added  to,  while  much  has  been  subtracted  from,  the  estimated  value  of  the 
plant  as  a  remedy  since  Rafinesque's  time.  King,  however,  says  (American 
Dispensatory)  :  "In  decoction,  blue  cohosh  is  preferable  to  ergot  for  expe- 
diting delivery  in  all  those  cases  where  the  delay  is  owing  to  debility  or 
want  of  uterine  nervous  energy,  or  is  the  result  of  fatigue."  This  state- 
ment will  be  taken  cum  grano  salis  by  those  who,  like  the  author,  have 
made  an  experimental  comparison — or  rather  contrast — of  the  two. 

JEFFERSONIA. —Twin-Leaf. 

Jeffersonia  diphylla  Persoon. — Tioin-Leaf,  Rheumatism  Root. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  4,  petal-hke,  fugacious.  Corolla  :  petals  8, 
oblong,  flat.  Stamens  8,  shorter  than  the  petals  ;  anthers  linear-oblong, 
on  slender  filaments.  Ovary  solitary,  ovoid,  soon  becoming  gibbous ; 
stigma  2-lobed,  nearly  sessile  ;  ovules  5  or  6,  attached  to  one  side  of  the 
ovary  below  the  middle.  Fruit  a  somewhat  stipitate  capsule,  opening  by 
a  transverse,  semi-lunar  slit  near  the  summit.     Seeds  numerous,  crowded 


80  BERBERIDACE^. 

in  several  rows  on  a  lateral  placenta,  with  a  fleshy  lacerate  aril  on  one 
side. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  with  a  thick,  somewhat  flishy,  horizontal, 
fibrous-rooted  rhizome,  from  which  arises  a  simple  1-flowered  scape,  and  a 
tuft  of  long-petioled,  bifoliate,  or  deeply  2-j)arted  radical  leaves,  with  ob- 
long, foliaceous  sheaths  at  their  base.  Leaves  glaucous  beneath ;  lamina 
parted  into  2  semi-ovate  segments,  appearing  like  a  pair  of  leaves  (whence 
the  name  twin-leaf),  each  3  to  4  inches  long,  nearly  2  inches  wide,  obscurely 
toothed  or  sinuate.  Flowers  white,  about  1  inch  in  diameter,  ajopearing 
in  April  or  May.     The  fruit  matures  in  July. 

Habitat. — In  rich,  shady  woods,  on  limestone  soils,  fi'om  New  York  to 
Tennessee.     Not  very  common. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — not  official. 

Constituents. — In  addition  to  the  common  plant  constituents,  one  analyst 
has  discovered  in  Jeffersonia  a  bitter  principle  and  an  acrid  acid  analogous 
to  that  existing  in  Polygala  Senega,  termed  polygalic  acid,  having  the  acrid 
and  nauseous  taste  of  the  root,  and  capable  of  producing  persistent  nausea 
and  vomiting.  Another  analyst  found  a  small  quantity  of  berberina  and  a 
larger  proportion  of  a  white  alkaloid. 

Preparations. — There  are  neither  official  nor  commercial  preparations 
of  this  plant.  Its  virtues  are  yielded  to  boiling  water,  and  it  may  therefore 
be  administered  in  decoction  or  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Jeffersonia  is  said  to  be  alterative,  anti- 
sj^asmodic,  diuretic,  diaphoretic,  and  expectorant.  That  it  may  possibly 
produce  an  alterative  effect  through  the  tonic  influence  of  its  alkaloid  ber- 
berina is  not  unlikely,  but  the  other  effects  attributed  to  it  are  i:)robably 
largely  due  to  its  mode  of  administration  rather  than  to  its  specific  proper- 
ties. Being  rather  nauseous,  large  quantities  of  it  in  decoction  might 
readily  induce  antispasmodic,  diaphoretic,  or  expectorant  effects.  It  has 
been  used  as  a  substitute  for  senega,  to  which  it  bears  some  analogy  as 
shown  by  analysis,  and  in  chronic  rheumatism,  secondary  s^^philis,  nervous 
affections,  etc.,  chiefly  in  domestic  practice.  Eafinesque  thought  it  worthy 
of  investigation. 

PODOPHYLLUM.  —May-Apple. 

Podophyllum  peltatum  Linne. — Ilay-Apj^le,  Mandrake. 

Description. — Calyx :  sepals  6,  unequal,  obtuse,  imbricate,  pale  green, 
caducous,  with  3  smaU,  fugacious  bractlets  at  their  base.  Corolla :  petals 
G  to  9,  obovate,  twice  the  length  of  the  sepals,  white.  Stamens  12  to  18, 
twice  the  number  of  the  petals,  hypogynous,  with  short,  slender  filaments  ; 
anthers  linear-oblong,  about  the  length  of  the  filaments,  2-celled,  open- 
ing longitudinally,  and  not  upward  by  valves  as  is  the  rule  with  the  order. 
Ovary  ovoid,  1-celled,  with  many  ovules ;  stigma  sessile,  large,  thick,  and 


PODOPHYLLUM MAY-APPLE.  81 

undulate  or  lobed.  Fruit  a  succulent  berry  as  large  as  a  medium-sized 
plum,  smooth,  yellowisli-green  when  ripe,  of  a  mildly  acid  taste  and,  to 
many  people,  an  agreeable  flavor.  Seeds  12  or  more,  covering  the  large 
lateral  placenta,  in  several  rows,  each  seed  enclosed  in  a  pulpy  aril,  the 
whole  forming  a  soft  mass  which  fills  the  cavity  of  the  fruit. 

An  herbaceous  perennial  having  a  creeping,  fibrous-rooted  rhizome, 
1  to  6  feet  in  length,  from  which  arise  in  early  spring  both  flowering  and 
flowerless  stems  about  1  foot  in  height.  The  flowerless  stem  is  termi- 
nated by  a  single,  large,  round,  7-  to  9-lobed  leaf,  centrally  peltate,  the 
lobes  oblong,  wedge-shaped,  somewhat  toothed  or  lobed  at  the  supex.  The 
flowering  stem  bifurcates  6  to  8  inches  above  the  ground,  and  each 
branch  bears  at  its  summit,  about  4  inches  above  the  bifurcation,  a  single 
one-sided  leaf,  the  stalk  fixed  near  the  inner  edge,  lobed  and  toothed  in  a 
manner  similar  to  the  leaves  of  the  barren  stems.  At  the  bifurcation 
is  situated  a  single  white  flower  about  2  inches  in  diameter,  upon  a  short, 
curved  peduncle. 

The  plant  blossoms  in  May  and  ripens  its  fruit  in  August  and  Sep- 
tember. 

Habitat. — This  is  a  very  common  plant  in  rich,  moist  soil  along  the  bor- 
ders of  woods  and  streams  from  Canada  to  Florida.  Its  beautiful  foliage, 
and  still  more  beautiful  flowers,  render  it  an  object  of  interest  entirely 
apart  from  its  medicinal  importance.  It  is,  moreover,  very  hardy,  and 
flourishes  along  the  fences  of  cultivated  fields  long  after  many  of  its  more 
tender  natural  associates  have  been  exterminated.  In  view  of  its  medic- 
inal importance  this  is  indeed  gratifying,  since  it  is  a  fact  that  many  of 
our  valuable  indigenous  medicinal  plants  will  soon  be  completely  eradi- 
cated by  the  progress  of  the  very  civilization  which  has  recognized  and 
utilized  their  virtues.  Their  natiu-al  habitat  is  the  virgin  soil  of  the  un- 
broken forest,  and  once  this  is  turned  by  the  plow  they  disappear  for- 
ever. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 
The  leaves  partake  of  the  properties  of  the  root,  but  are  not  employed. 
The  fruit,  on  the  contrary,  is  entirely  innocuous,  and  may  be  eaten,  in  any 
reasonable  quantity,  with  imj^unity. 

Constituents. — Podophyllum  has  a  bitter,  acrid  taste,  somewhat  similar  to 
that  of  other  plants  of  the  order.  Its  active  properties  reside  in  a  resinous 
substance  which  is  obtained  by  precipitation  from  a  concentrated  alco- 
holic tincture  by  means  of  water  acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid.  This 
has  long  been  used  and  sold  under  the  incorrect  name  podophyllin.  It 
consists  of  two  resins,  one  soluble  in  both  ether  and  alcohol,  the  other 
in  alcohol  only,  and  is  a  mixture  of  the  active  and  some  of  the  inert 
principles  of  the  root.  The  ultimate  composition  of  these  resins  is  still 
a  matter  of  dispute  among  analysts.  In  addition  to  the  resin,  there 
also  exist  in  the  root  the  ordinary  vegetable  principles,  but,  as  demon- 


82  nympii^aceyE. 

strated  by  Professor  Maiscli  and  others,  neither  berberina  nor  any  other 
alkaloid. 

Pre2Mrafions. — Abstractum  podophylli — abstract  of  podophyllum  ;  ex- 
tractum  podophylli — extract  of  podophyllum  ;  extractum  podophylli  flu- 
iduni  — fluid  extract  of  podophyllum  ;  resina  podophylli — resin  of  podo- 
phyllum (incorrectly  tevmed  podojyhi/Uin). —  United  States  Pharmaco-posia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Podophyllum  is  an  active  cathartic,  in- 
creasing the  intestinal  secretions  and  producing  copious  and  somewhat 
watery  stools,  resembling  jalap  in  its  mode  of  operation,  though  its  effects 
are  produced  much  more  slowly.  Its  action  is  attended  with  considerable 
griping,  and  sometimes  nausea,  which,  however,  may  be,  to  a  great  ex- 
tent, obviated  by  administering  it  in  combination  with  other  cathartics  or 
with  sedatives.  In  over-doses  it  produces  violent  emeto-catharsis,  and  has 
not  unfrequently  caused  fatal  prostration.  That  it  exerts  a  special  in- 
fluence upon  the  functions  of  the  liver  seems  to  have  been  abundantly 
demonstrated  by  clinical  experience  ;  and  in  those  cases  of  inactivity  of 
this  organ  so  frequently  met  with  in  the  condition  vaguely  but  ex- 
pressively termed  "  biliousness,"  few  remedies  act  as  satisfactorily.  As  an 
aid  to  overcoming  the  habit  of  constipation,  administered  alone  or  in 
judicious  combinations,  few  drugs  equal  and  fewer  still  surpass  it  in 
efficacy.  Thus,  though  analogous  to  jalap  in  some  resjjects,  it  has  a 
wider  range  of  usefulness.  It  is  used  by  eclectics  as  a  substitute  for  mer- 
cury in  the  treatment  of  syphilis,  and  has  even  been  denominated  "  vege- 
table calomel,"  on  account  of  its  supposed  efficacy  as  an  alterative.  There 
is  little  reason,  however,  for  supposing  that  it  exerts  any  direct  or  spe- 
cific effect  upon  syphilis,  or  that  its  alterative  influence  extends  beyond  the 
mere  increasing  the  hepatic  and  intestinal  secretions.  It  would,  therefore, 
be  extremely  unwise  to  rely  upon  it  to  the  exclusion  of  mercui'y  and  the 
iodides  in  the  treatment  of  so  grave  a  disease  as  syphiHs. 

NYMPH/EACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Aquatic  perennial  herbs,  with  horizontal  rhi- 
zomes and  peltate  or  cordate  fleshy  leaves,  either  floating  on  the  surface 
of  the  water  or  borne  above  it  upon  long  petioles.  Sepals  usually  4, 
sometimes  confounded  with  the  numerous  petals,  and  these  often  passing 
gradually  into  stamens  ;  stamens  indefinite  in  number,  inserted  in  the 
torus  above  the  petals,  with  petaloid  filaments,  and  adnate,  introrse 
anthers,  opening  by  two  longitudinal  clefts  ;  torus  large  and  fleshy,  sur- 
sounding  the  ovary,  which  is  many-celled  and  many-ovuled,  with  radiat- 
ing stigmas.  Fruit  many-celled,  indihescent ;  seeds  very  numerous,  borne 
on  the  sides  or  back  of  the  cells,  and  not  on  the  ventral  suture. 

An  order  comj)rising  five  genera  in  North  America,  namely,  Braseuia, 
Cabomba,  Nelumbium,  Nviphar,  and  Nymphsea,  and  these  are  represented 


NYMPHS  A WATER-LILY.  83 

"by  only  a  few  species,  none  of  whicli  are  very  important  medicinally. 
They  are  generally  astringent  and  somewhat  demulcent.  The  plant  de- 
scribed below,  Nijmphcea  odorata,  is  the  most  important  medicinally, 
though  species  of  the  genus  nuphar  possess  similar  properties  but  to  a 
more  limited  extent. 

NYMPH^A.  — Water-Lily. 

Nymphsea  odorata  Alton. — Sweet-scented  Water-Lily. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  4,  green  outside,  white  within,  nearly  free, 
withering  but  not  falling  away.  Corolla  :  petals  numerous,  in  many  rows, 
gadually  passing  into  stamens,  imbricate,  inserted  upon  the  ovary.  Sta- 
mens indefinite,  inserted  upon  the  ovary  above  the  petals,  the  outer  ones 
with  dilated,  petal-like  filaments.  Ovary  18-  to  30-celled,  the  concave  sum- 
mit bearing  at  its  centre  a  tubercle,  from  which  the  stigmas,  equal  in  num- 
ber with  the  cells,  radiate  like  the  spokes  of  a  wheel,  projecting  and  in- 
curving at  the  margin,  forming  a  scalloped  border.  Fruit  depressed- 
globular,  many-celled,  mau^'-seeded,  covered  with  the  bases  of  the  decayed 
petals. 

A  perennial  aquatic  herb,  having  a  rough,  knotty  rhizome  as  large  as  a 
man's  arm,  from  which  proceed  flower-  and  leaf-stems,  1  to  6  feet  in  length, 
varying  in  this  respect  according  to  the  depth  of  water  in  which  the 
specimen  grows.  Leaves  orbicular,  cordate-cleft  to  the  base  of  the  petiole, 
which  is  inserted  about  the  centre,  6  to  10  inches  wide,  the  margin  entire, 
the  upper  surface  dark,  glossy  green,  repelling  water,  the  under  lighter 
green  tinged  with  crimson  or  purple  ;  petioles  in  section  nearly  semicir- 
cular, very  flexible,  porous,  the  pores  filled  with  air  to  buoy  the  leaves  up 
and  permit  them  to  float  easily  upon  the  surface  of  the  water.  Flower- 
stems  round,  otherwise  resembling  the  petioles,  retracting  after  flowering, 
so  that  the  fruit  matures  under  water.  Flowers  solitary,  3  to  5^^  inches 
in  diameter,  white,  rarely  pink  or  rose-colored,  very  sweet  scented.  Olden- 
ing early  in  the  morning  and  closing  in  the  afternoon  for  several  days 
in  succession.  The  season  of  flowering  extends  throughout  the  summer, 
from  June  to  September. 

Habitat. — The  margins  of  lakes,  jDonds,  and  slow-flowfng  streams  with 
muddy  bottoms  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  often  covering  the 
surface  of  the  water  for  acres  in  extent,  and  presenting  a  scene  of  rare 
loveliness.  Indeed,  there  is  only  one  other  aquatic  plant  indigenous  to 
North  America  {Nelumbium  luteum — Water  Ghinquepin)  at  all  compar- 
able to  this  in  beauty.  The  latter  belongs  to  the  same  order  and  grows 
in  similar  situations,  but  is  rare  and  local  east  of  the  AUeghanies. 

Part  Used. — The  rhizome — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  rhizome  of  the  water-lily  has  an  extremely  astrin- 
gent and  bitter  taste,  the  astringency  being  due  to  the  presence  of  tannic 
and  galhc  acids,  which  are  its  only  medicinal  constituents. 


84 


SARRACENIACE^. 


Preparations. — There  are  neither  official  nor  commercial  j^reparations  j 
and  even  the  rhizome  itself  is  seldom  kept  by  the  apothecaries. 

Medical  Properties  and  Cses, —Records  of  the  employment  of  this 
plant  are  extremely  meagre  in  medical  literature.  It  has  been  used  as  an 
astringent  in  dysentery,  diarrhoea,  and  catarrhal  affections,  in  the  last- 
named  cases  both  internally  and  locally.  It  has  also  been  employed 
topically  as  a  discutient,  and  as  an  astringent  poultice  to  suppurating  ul- 
cers. As  it  depends  for  its  efficacy  upon  the  tannic  and  gallic  acids  which 
it  contains,  it  is  hardly  worthy  of  consideration  when  a  choice  of  remedies 
is  to  be  made. 

SARRACENIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Perennial  bog  or  marsh  plants,  with  hoUow, 
j)itcher-like,  or  trumpet-shaped  radical  leaves  and  hypogynous,  polyan- 
drous  flowers. 

A  small  and  unimportant  though  curious  order  of  plants,  comjirising 
but  three  genera,  of  which  two,  Sarracenia  and  Darlingtonia,  are  indigenous 
to  North  America. 

SARRACENIA.— Pitcher-Plant. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Sepals  5,  with  3  bractlets  at  their  base,  col- 
ored, persistent.  Petals  5,  oblong  or  obovate,  incurved  upon  the  ovary, 
colored,  deciduous.  Both  sepals  and  j^etals  are  imbricate  in  sestivation. 
Stamens  indefinite  in  number,  hypogynous  ;  anthers 
oblong,  adnate,  2-celled,  bursting  internally  and  longi- 
tudinally. Ovary  solitary,  5-celled,  many-ovuled  ;  style 
short,  expanded  at  its  summit  into  a  large,  5-angled, 
umbrella-shaped  lamina,  with  a  small,  incurved  stigma 
at  each  angle.  Capsule,  crowned  by  the  persistent 
style,  5-celled,  each  cell  opening  by  a  locuHcidal  valve. 
Seeds  very  numerous,  minute,  attached  to  5  placentae 
which  project  from  the  axis  into  the  cavity  of  the  cells. 
Perennial  herbs,  with  short,  fibrous-rooted  rhizomes, 
radical,  hollow,  j^itcher-like,  or  trumpet-shaped  leaves, 
and  naked  scapes,  bearing  each  a  single  nodding  flower. 
Sarracenia  purpurea  Linne. — Pitcher -Plant,  Side- 
saddle Flower. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  1  inch  long,  half  as  wide, 
brownish-red  or  purplish  externally,  greenish  within. 
Corolla  :  petals  longer  and  narrower  than  the  sepals, 
contracted  toward,  dilated  at,  the  base,  lighter  in 
color  externally  than  the  sepals,  still  lighter  within,  folding  inward,  and 
nearly  concealing  the  expanded  style.  Stamens  numerous,  completely 
covered    by   the   style,    which  is   1   inch   or  more   wide,    light   grayish- 


FiG.  102. — Sarracenia 
purpurea. 


SARRACENIA PITCHER-PLANT.  85 

green  ;  angles  emarginate,  the  small,  hooked  stigmas  projecting  down- 
ward from  the  angles  of  the  notches.  Scape  simjole,  smooth,  about  1  foot 
high,  sm-rounded  at  its  base  by  a  cluster  of  about  half  a  dozen  leaves, 
which  are  pitcher-like  in  form,  upon  short  clasping  petioles,  dilated 
above,  and  terminated  by  an  erect,  round,  heart-shaped  hood,  lined  with 
stilT  bristly  hairs,  pointing  downward.  The  openings  of  the  leaves  are  di- 
rected upward  in  such  manner  as  to  collect  rain-drops,  and  theii*  cavities 
are  generally  about  full  of  water.  A  fully  developed  leaf  will  contain  a 
half  ounce  or  more  of  liquid.  Owing  to  the  downward  direction  of  the 
hairs  lining  the  mouths  of  the  pitchers,  insects  falHug  into  them  are 
unable  to  get  out,  and  it  has  been  contended  by  some  that  the  plant 
derives  a  part  of  its  nourishment  by  a  sort  of  digestion  of  insects  thus  cap- 
tured and  drowned.     The  flowers  are  produced  in  June. 

Habitat. — In  cold  bogs  and  marshes,  from  Hudson's  Bay  to  Florida. 
Quite  common  about  the  margins  of  ponds  in  tamarack  swamps. 

Sarracenia  flava  Linne. — Trumpet-leaf,  Watches. 

Description. — Leaves  erect,  2  to  3  feet  long,  trumpet-shaped,  narrowly 
winged;  lamina  3  to  4  inches  wide,  yellow,  erect,  orbicular,  slender- 
pointed,  tomentose  within,  reddish  at  the  base,  or  reticulated  with  purple 
veins.  Scapes  as  long  as  the  leaves.  Flowers  4  to  5  inches  wide,  yellow, 
aj^pearing  in  April  and  May. — Chupmau. 

Sarracenia  variolaris  Michaux.— S/w/tecZ  Trumpet-Leaf. 

Description. — Leaves  erect,  trumpet-shaped,  broadly  winged,  spotted 
with  white  near  the  yellowish  summit ;  lamina  ovate,  concave,  arching 
over  the  orifice  of  the  tube,  hairy  and  reticulated  with  j)ui-ple  veins 
within.  Flowers  2  inches  wide,  yellow,  on  scapes  shorter  than  the  leaves, 
api^earing  in  May. — Chupman. 

Habitat. — The  two  species  of  yellow-flowered  sarracenia  grow  in  low, 
wet  pine  barrens,  from  North  Carolina  to  Florida  and  westwai'd. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — not  official. 

Constituents. — Analyses  of  these  plants  by  difterent  chemists  have 
yielded  different  results.  Professor  U.  C.  Shepard  found  "  an  acid  or  an 
acid  salt,  and  also  an  astringent  property,  due  neither  to  tannic  nor  gallic 
acid,  and  a  salt  of  some  alkaloid,  related  perhaps  to  cinchonia,  which, 
should  it  prove  new,  may  be  called  sarracenin  "  (Porcher).  Stan.  Martin 
obtained  a  bitter  alkaloid,  sarracenina,  whose  sulphate  is  crystallizable,  and 
F.  Schmidt  isolated  an  acid  yellow  coloring  matter,  sarracenic  acid.  So 
far  as  ascertained,  the  proximate  princii^les  obtained  by  analysis  have  not 
been  subjected  to  therapeutic  experimentation. 

Preparations. — There  are  neither  official  nor  commercial  preparations. 
The  powdered  root  may  be  administered  in  substance,  or  a  tincture  or  in- 
fusion may  be  employed. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — According  to  Dr.  Porcher,  sarracenia  is 
used  to  a  considerable  extent  in  the  Southern  States  as  a  bitter  tonic  and 


86  PAPAVEEACE^. 

stomachic  in  dyspeptic  affections.  lu  over-doses  it  produced  in  his  own 
person  some  cerebral  disturbance,  which  he  attributed  to  the  pi-esence  of 
a  narcotic  principle.  And  to  this  narcotic  principle  he  attributed  also 
some  of  the  rehef  obtained  by  use  of  the  plant  in  painful  indigestion. 

PAPAVERACE>E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Annual  or  perennial  herbs,  with  a  thick  colored 
or  milky  juice,  regular  flowers,  the  parts  in  twos  or  fours,  numerous  hy 
pogynous  stamens,  and  a  1-celled  ovary,  with  2  or  more  parietal  placentae 
Sepals  usually  2,  rarely  3,  falling  when  the  bud  opens.  Petals  4  to  12. 
rarely  more,  spreading,  commonly  crumpled  in  the  bud,  and  of  short  du- 
ration. Fruit  a  dry  capsule  or  pod,  containing  numerous  small,  oily  seeds. 
Leaves  alternate,  without  stipules  ;  commonly  covered  with  a  bloom.  Pe- 
duncles generally  1-flowered. 

A  family  of  plants  represented  in  the  United  States  by  about  a  dozep 
genera,  comprising  altogether  a  not  much  greater  nvimber  of  species,  ot 
which  but  two  are  of  any  medicinal  importance.  Indeed,  the  entire  ordev 
as  distributed  over  the  globe  is,  with  a  few  notable  exceptions — chiefly  pa 
paver  and  sangviinaria — comj)aratively  unimportant,  either  medicinally  Cx 
economically.  They  generally  possess  acrid  and  more  or  less  narcotic 
jDroperties. 

SANGUIN  AEI  A.  — Bloodroot. 

Sanguinaria  Canadensis  Linne. — Bloodroot. 

Descrijjtion. — Calyx  :  sepals  2,  hght  green,  falling  as  the  bud  opens. 
Corolla  :  petals  8  to  12  or  more,  one-half  to  1  inch  long,  oblong-spatulate, 
spreading,  white  or  slightly  rose-tinted,  increasing  in  size  for  two  or  thrt  u 
days  after  the  bud  opens,  and  then  falling  away.  Stamens  about  24,  in 
several  rows,  much  shorter  than  the  petals,  those  in  the  inner  rows  long- 
est ;  anthers  narrow,  oj^ening  longitudinally.  Ovary  linear-oblong,  1- 
celled  ;  style  short,  stigma  2-grooved.  Capsule  oblong,  pointed  at  both 
ends,  tipped  with  the  style,  1-celled,  2-valved.  Seeds  numerous,  roundisl : . 
smooth,  with  a  prominent  ridge  along  the  raphe. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  having  a  thick,  fleshy,  fibrous-rooted  rhizome,. 
1  to  3  inches  long,  from  Avhich  are  sent  up  in  early  sjiring  one  or  more  simple, 
round  scapes,  each  bearing  a  single  flower,  which  expands  in  advance  of 
the  unfolding  of  the  leaf  enclosing  it  as  it  emerges  from  the  ground.  The 
leaves,  all  radical,  are,  when  first  unfolded,  about  7-lobed,  but  become, 
later  in  the  season,  broadly  reniform,  and  attain  a  breadth  of  6  to  7  inches. 
They  are  borne  upon  long  channelled  petioles,  are  dark  shining  green  above, 
grayish-green  and  strongly  reticulated  beneath.  The  rhizome  is  reddish- 
brown  externally,  paler  within,  and  pours  out,  when  wounded,  an  abun- 
dance of  reddish  orange-colored  juice,  whence  the  common  name  of  the 


PLATE   111. 


^son.Dei.  SANGUINARIA    CANADENSIS. 


Plate  III. — Sanguinaria  Canadensis. 

Fig.   1. — Flowering  plant,  half  natural  size. 
Fig.  2. — Pistil  and  stamens,  natural  size. 
Fig.  3. — Cross-section  of  rhizome,  natural  size. 


SAWGUINARIA BLOODROOT.  87 

plant.  Nor  is  the  colored  juice  characteristic  of  the  root  only  ;  it  occurs 
in  the  leaves  and  flowers  as  well. 

Habitat. — In  rich,  open  woods  from  Canada  to  Florida  and  westward  to 
the  Mississippi.  Formerly  very  common,  it  is  becoming  rapidly  scarcer, 
and  in  the  cultivated  parts  of  the  Atlantic  States  will  ere  long  be  consid- 
ered comparatively  rare.  In  the  latitude  of  New  York  it  blooms  about 
the  middle  of  April,  and,  like  many  of  oui'  early  blooming  plants,  is  of 
short  duration.  In  favorable  localities  the  first  blossoms  are  quickly  suc- 
ceeded by  myriads,  so  that  the  ground  is  almost  white  with  them,  pre- 
senting a  most  charming  aspect. 

Part  Used. — The  rhizome — United  States  Pharmacopceia. 

Constituents. — Sanguinaria  has  a  bitter,  acrid  taste,  which  persists  for 
some  time,  accompanied  by  a  sensation  of  constriction  and  irritation  in  the 
throat.  This  is  most  evident  in  the  fresh  rhizome,  but  does  not  disappear 
from  the  dried  drug,  which  in  powder  is  extremely  instating  to  the  res- 
piratory tract  if  inhaled.  These  irritant  properties  appear  to  reside 
mainly  in  an  alkaloid,  sanguinarina,  which  possesses  them  to  an  intense 
degree.  This,  when  pure,  is  in  white  verrucose  or  needle-shaped  crystals, 
soluble  in  both  alcohol  and  ether,  and,  with  acids,  forms  salts  of  a  bright 
red  color.  Two  other  alkaloids  and  a  pecuhar  acid  have  also  been  found 
in  the  drug,  but  sanguinarina  appeai-s  to  be  the  chief  medicinal,  as  it  is 
the  only  commercial,  constituent. 

Preparations. — Acetum  sanguinarioe — vinegar  of  sanguinaria;  extrac- 
tum  sanguinarise  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  sanguinaria  ;  tinctura  sangui- 
naripe— tincture  of  sanguinaria.  —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — In  very  small  doses  sanguinaria  exerts  a 
tonic  influence,  promoting  gastro-intestinal  secretion  and  thus  aiding  di- 
gestion. It  is  sometimes  employed  in  this  manner  in  dyspepsia,  with 
asserted  benefit.  It  is  not,  however,  as  a  tonic  that  it  exerts  its  greatest 
influence,  but  as  an  expectorant  in  diseases  of  the  respiratory  organs. 
In  these  cases  it  is  employed  in  much  larger  doses  than  when  its  tonic 
effects  are  desired.  In  still  larger  doses  it  is  emetic,  and  both  too  power- 
ful and  violent  to  be  emj)loyed  with  safety.  In  over-doses  it  produces 
excessive  prostration,  insensibility,  irregularity  and  feebleness  of  the  jDulse, 
and  even  fatal  collapse.  The  dry  powder  is  sometimes  nsed  as  a  sternuta- 
tory in  chronic  nasal  catarrh,  and  it  was  formerly  emj)loyed  as  a  topical 
apiDlication  to  ulcers  to  repress  fungous  granulations  or  to  excite  indolent 
sores  to  greater  and  more  healthy  activity'. 

That  sanguinaria  was  formerly  highly  esteemed  by  the  medical  profes- 
sion generally,  will  become  evident  to  the  reader  of  our  past  and  even 
present  literature  ;  that  it  is  comparatively  little  used  here  in  the  East  now 
is  none  the  less  apparent  and  true.  Whether  this  is  to  be  attributed  to  a 
mere  change  in  therapeutic  fashions  or  to  a  preference  for  expectorants  of 
a  milder  character,  is  not  easy  to  decide.     At  any  rate,  sanguinaria  ap- 


88 


papaveracp:^. 


23ears  to  have  followed  antimony  and  squill  into  comparative  and  probably 
unmerited  disuse. 

CHELIDONIUM  .—Celandine. 

Chelidonium  majus  Linne.  —  Celandine. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  2,  ovate,  yellowish,  caducous.  Corolla : 
petals  4,  sub-orbicular,  contracted  at  the  base,  yellow,  early  deciduous. 
Stamens  indefinite  in  number,  hypogynous,  shorter  than  the  petals  ;  an- 
thers 2-lobed.  Ovary  elongated,  cylindrical,  slightly  bent,  composed  of  2 
carpels  separated  by  an  incomplete  partition,  many-ovuled  ;  style  very  short, 
the  2-lobed  stigma  apparently  sessile  upon  the  ovary.  Fruit  a  dry  pod,  hn- 
ear,  2-valved,  the  valves  opening  from  below 
upward,  becoming  detached  and  leaving  the 
dissepiment  persistent  upon  the  stem. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  with  a  fusiform 
root,  erect,  branching,  somewhat  hairy  stems, 
1  to  2  feet  high,  alternate,  pinnately  divided 
or  bi-pinnatifid  leaves,  and  small  flowers  in 
small  pedunculate  umbels  at  the  summits 
of  the  branches.  Leaflets  3  to  7,  the  lobes 
incised;  crenate,  petiolulate,  or  decurrent 
upon  the  common  petiole,  glabrous  above, 
glaucous  underneath.  The  flowers  are  pro- 
duced throughout  the  summer.  All  parts 
of  the  plant  are  pervaded  with  an  acrid, 
safii'on-colored  juice. 

Habitat. — A  native  of  Europe,  celandine 
has  become  fully  naturalized  here,  growing 
about  old  buildings  and  fences  and  along  roadsides. 

Part  Used. — The  entire  plant — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 
Constituents. — Celandine  has  a  rather  unpleasant  odor,  and  a  persistent, 
acrid,  bitter  taste,  which  is  stronger  in  the  root  than  in  the  leaves.  The 
juice  possesses  the  same  sensible  properties,  though  to  a  more  intense  de- 
gree. The  odor  is  lost  in  drying,  but  the  taste  remains.  An  analysis  of 
the  plant  by  Probst  yielded  a  peculiar  acid,  chelidonic,  two  alkaline  princi- 
ples, the  one,  chelerythrine,  forming  salts  with  acids,  the  other,  cheledonine, 
iiniting  with  acids  without  neutralizing  them,  and  finally  a  neutral  crys- 
tallizable,  bitter  principle  termed  chelidoxanthin.  Chelerythrine  is  said  to 
be  an  acrid  narcotic  poison,  while  cheledonine  has  been  shown  to  be  iden- 
tical with  sanguinarine,  the  most  important  constituent  of  bloodroot. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  official  preparations.  The  expressed  juice 
is  very  active,  and  aftbrds  a  convenient  mode  of  administration  when  ob- 
tainable. The  dried  root  or  herb  may  be  administered  in  substance,  de- 
coction, or  infusion,  or  a  watery  extract  may  be  employed. 


Fig.  103. — Chelidonium  majus. 


DICENTRA.  89 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — In  medicinal  doses  celandine  is  diapho- 
retic, diuretic,  expectorant,  and  pm-gative  ;  in  over-doses  it  is  an  acrid  nar- 
cotic poison,  producing  not  only  excessive  purgation  but  great  cerebral 
disturbance.  It  bears,  therefore,  a  close  analogy  in  its  action  to  sangui- 
naria.  In  both,  the  acrid-proi^erties  are  much  more  apparent  than  the  nar- 
cotic, so  that  fatal  effects  may  be  produced  before  narcotic  symptoms  be- 
come very  evident.  In  this  respect  they  are  in  marked  contrast  with  the 
poppy,  a  member  of  the  same  order  of  plants,  whose  stimulating  properties 
are  of  secondary  importance  compared  with  its  narcotic  influence. 

Celandine  is  a  remedy  which  has  come  down  to  us  from  the  fathers  of 
medicine,  and  is  interesting  chiefly  on  account  of  its  historical  associations, 
for  it  is  seldom  employed  at  the  present  day.  Its  action,  as  outlined  above, 
suffices  to  indicate  the  classes  of  cases  to  which  it  is  apphcable,  but  a  cata- 
logue of  the  diseases  in  which  it  has  been  employed  would  be  formidable. 
As  a  drastic  pm-gative  it  was  formerly  used  in  dropsy  ;  and  it  was  espe- 
cially esteemed  in  jaundice,  an  idea  which,  as  Woodville  remarks,  probably 
had  its  origin  in  the  absurd  doctrine  of  signatures,  though  there  can  be 
little  doubt  that  it  might,  through  its  stimulant  properties,  be  of  occasional 
benefit  in  this  condition.  The  fresh  juice  has  been  used  as  a  topical  ap- 
plication to  corns  and  warts  and  in  the  squamous  stages  of  various  skin. 
diseases.  It  requires  to  be  employed  with  caution,  for  it  is  extremely  irri- 
tating. 

FUMARIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs  with  brittle  stems,  watery  juice,  alter- 
nate, dissected,  exstipulate  leaves,  and  irregular,  unsymmetrical  flowers. 
Sepals  2,  deciduous.  Petals  4,  cruciate,  irregular,  one  or  two  of  them  saccate 
or  spurred,  and  the  two  inner  ones  often  cohering  at  the  apex  so  as  to  in- 
clude the  anthers  and  stigma.  Stamens  6,  in  two  sets  of  three  each,  placed 
opposite  the  larger  petals,  hypogynous,  the  filaments  often  united  ;  the 
middle  anther  of  each  set  2-celled,  the  outer  ones  l-ceUed.  Ovary  1-celled  ; 
style  fihform  ;  stigma  with  2  or  more  points.  Fruit  a  1-celled  pod,  either 
1-seeded  and  indehiscent  or  several-seeded  with  two  parietal  jDlacentpe. 

An  unimportant  though  interesting  order  of  plants,  closely  alhed  to 
the  jMpaver'acece  in  general  structure,  but  having  watery  instead  of  milky 
juice.  There  are  but  three  strictly  North  American  genera,  namely,  Adlu- 
mia,  Corydalis,  and  Diceutra.  Fumaria,  though  flourishing  here  without 
cultivation,  is  not  indigenous,  but  has  been  introduced  from  Eiirope. 

DICENTRA. 

Dicentra  Canadensis  De  Candolle  (Corydalis  formosa  Pursh). — 
Squirrel  Corn,  lurJcey  Corn. 

Description. — Calyx:  sepals  2,  small  and  scale-like,  deciduous.    Corolla : 


90  FUMAEIACE^. 

petals  4,  slightly  coherent,  the  two  outer  equally  spurred,  the  spurs  short, 
rounded,  obtuse,  slightly  incurved,  giving  the  whole  a  somewhat  heart- 
shaped  outline  ;  inner  petals  with  a  projecting,  conspicuous  crest.  Stamens 
in  two  sets,  with  filaments  united.  Stigmas  2 -crested  and  somewhat  2- 
horned.     Pod  10-  to  20-seeded. 

A  low,  smooth,  stemless  perennial,  w^hose  underground  shoots  bear  small 
yellow  tubers,  resembling  peas  or  kernels  of  Indian  corn,  whence  the  com- 
mon names.  Leaves  all  radical,  10  to  12  inches  high,  bi-ternate,  the  leaf- 
lets deeply  jDinuatifid,  the  lobes  linear-oblong,  sub-glaucous.  Scaj)e  6  to 
10  inches  high,  simple,  smooth.  Flowers  4  to  10,  nodding,  fragrant, 
greenish-white  tinged  with  rose-color,  appearing  in  May  and  June. 

Habitat. — In  rich  woods  from  Canada  to  Pennsylvania,  Kentucky  and 
westward  ;  most  common  northward. 

Part  Used. — The  rhizome — not  official. 

Constituents. — Dicentra  has  a  faint,  peculiar  odor  and  a  characteristic 
slightly  bitter  taste,  which  is  quite  persistent,  and  for  some  time  greatly 
increases  the  flow  of  saliva.  It  has  yielded  to  analysis  an  alkaloid  tei-med 
corydalin,  together  with  a  peculiar  acid,  a  volatile  oil,  a  tasteless  and  an 
acrid  resin,  bitter  extractive,  and  ordinary  vegetable  constituents.  A  com- 
mercial article,  improperly  termed  corydalin,  is  considerably  used  by  eclec- 
tic practitioners,  and  is  said  to  faMy  represent  the  medicinal  constituents 
of  the  plant.  It  is  prej)ared  from  the  alcohohc  tincture  by  precipitation, 
and  is  an  impure  resinous  substance. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  It  may  be  administered  in  infusion, 
tincture,  or  extract,  or  in  the  form  of  the  so-called  corydalin. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Dicentra  is  said  to  be  tonic,  diuretic,  and 
alterative.  As  a  tonic  King  considers  its  action  similar  to  gentian  and 
Colombo,  or  other  pure  bitters  ;  and  its  alterative  properties  "  in  syphilis, 
especially  in  the  constitutional  form,  when  occurring  in  debilitated  or 
broken-down  constitutions  .  .  .  not  equalled  by  any  other  agent." 
Not,  however,  because  "it  exerts  any  real  influence  as  an  antisyphilitic, 
jDroiDcrly  so  called,"  but  simply  in  the  office  of  an  alterative  tonic.  Though 
the  evidence  in  favor  of  its  efficacy  as  a  remedy  must  necessarily  be  col- 
lected chiefly  from  eclectic  sources,  there  is  enough  of  it  to  justify  the 
conclusion  that  dicentra  is  not  inert,  but,  on  the  contrary,  is  worthy  of 
more  careful  examination  than  it  has  hitherto  received. 


FUMARI  A.  — FtTMiTORY. 

Fumaria  officinalis  Linne. — Common  Fumitory. 

Description. — Calyx :  sepals  2,  ovate-lanceolate,  acute,  sharply  toothed, 
shorter  than  the  corolla,  caducous.  Corolla  :  petals  4,  the  upper  one  of 
the  outer  pair  spurred  at  the  base,  the  lateral  pair  cohering  at  their  tips 
and  forming  a  quadrangular  mouth.     Stamens  G,  in  two  sets  of  three  each. 


FUMAKIA FUMITOET. 


91 


Ovary  oval ;  style  filiform,  about  as  long  as  the  stamens,  deciduous.     Pod 
roundish,  somewhat  heart-shaped,  1-seeded,  indehiscent. 

A  small,  leafy,  much-branched  annual,  about  1  foot  high.  Leaves  bi- 
pinnate,  the  pinnulse  mostly  3-lobed,  of  a  pale  green  color.  Flowers 
small,  reddish-purple,  in  dense  spikes  or  racemes. 

Habitat. — A  native  of  Europe  but  naturahzed  here,  growing  in  waste 
places  about  dwellings  and  in 
cultivated  grounds. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — not 
official. 

Constituents. — Fumitory  has 
a  bitter,  disagreeable  taste, 
strongly  marked  in  the  fresh 
herb  and  still  more  so  in  the 
dried  specimen.  It  has  yielded 
to  analysis  a  peculiar  crystal- 
lizable  acid,  termed  fumaric 
acid,  and  an  alkaloid,  also 
crystalline,  termed  fumarine. 
These  are  sujDposed  to  be  the 
active  constituents  of  the  plant, 
but  experiments  in  support  of 
the  supposition  appear  to  be 
lacking. 

Preparations. — None  are  of- 
ficial. The  expressed  juice  of 
the  fresh  plant  is  an  efficient 
preparation  ;  the  decoction  and 
infusion  are  also  eligible  forms 
of  administration. 

Iledical  Pro2:>erties  and  Uses. 
—  Fumitory  was  highly  es- 
teemed by  the  ancients  as  a  blood  purifier,  and  was  also  believed  to  exert 
a  special  influence  upon  the  eyes.  In  more  recent  times  it  has  been  re- 
garded as  tonic  and  depurative,  and  as  being  specially  beneficial  in  dis- 
eases of  the  skin.  At  one  time  or  another  it  has,  therefore,  been  em- 
ployed with  asserted  benefit  in  a  great  variety  of  cases.  Cullen  found  it 
more  beneficial  in  skin  diseases  than  in  any  other  class  of  cases.  Others 
have  used  it  in  scrofulous  and  scorbutic  affections  ;  others  as  a  vermifuge, 
though  as  Cazin  remarks,  it  is  no  more  anthelmintic  than  other  bitters. 
It  is  sometimes  employed  externally  in  cutaneous  affections,  in  the  form 
of  a  decoction  made  by  boiling  the  plant  in  milk. 


Fig.  104. — Fumaria  officinalis. 


92 


CEUCIPEE^. 


CRUCIFER/E. 


Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs  with  alternate,  exstipulate  leaves,  cruci- 
form flowers  in  terminal  racemes  or  corymbs,  and  a  pungent,  acrid,  watery 
juice.  Sepals  4,  deciduous.  Petals  4,  bypogynous,  placed  oj)posite  each 
other  in  pairs,  their  limbs  spreading  and  forming  a  cross.  Stamens  6» 
four  of  equal  length  placed  in  pairs  opposite  each  other,  the  remaining 
two,  shorter,  placed  beneath  them  and  opposite  each  other.  Ovary  of  2 
united  carpels,  with  2  parietal  placentae,  separated  by  a  membranaceous 
partition  ;  style  short  or  absent,  often  persistent  ;  stigmas  2,  opposite  the 
placentae.  Fruit  a  silique  or  silicle,  usually  2-celled,  rarely  1-celled,  1-  to 
many-seeded,  dehiscent  by  the  separation  of  the  valves  from  the  persistent 

placentfe,  or  occasionally 
indehiscent,  and  either 
lomentaceous  or  nucu- 
mentaceous.  Seeds  cam- 
pylotropous,  g  e  n  e  ra  lly 
pendulous,  attached  in  a 
single  row  to  each  side 
of  the  placenta.  Embryo 
with  cotyledons  variously 
folded  on  the  radicle. 

This  is  a  very  natural 
and  easily  recognized  fam- 
ily of  plants,  the  cruciform 
flowers  (Fig.  105)  and  jdc- 
culiarly  arranged  stamens 
(Fig.  106)  serving  for  im- 
mediate identification  of  the  order.  The  identification  of  the  genera  is, 
however,  quite  another  matter.  Here  the  characters  are  taken  from  the 
pods  and  seeds,  and  in  some  instances  are,  to  the  beginner  at  least,  very 
perplexing. 

All  the  ci-ucifers  possess,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  acrid  and  irritat- 
ing properties,  but  none  of  them  are  j)ositively  poisonous.  The  acrid 
principle  is  usually  of  a  volatile  character,  somewhat  dissijoated  in  drying 
and  entirely  so  by  boihng.  Though  generally  present  in  all  parts  of  the 
plant,  it  is  often  most  concentrated  in  the  seeds,  and  may  be  obtained 
from  many  of  them  by  distillation  in  the  form  of  a  volatile  oil.  Whatever 
of  medicinal  importance  the  order  may  have  is  undoubtedly  due  to  the 
acrid  principle  present,  and  this  appears  to  act  merely  by  virtue  of  its 
stimulant  and  irritant  properties.  Hence  all  statements  attributing  spe- 
cific virtues  to  any  plant  of  the  order  should  be  viewed  with  suspicion. 
There  is  no  one  order  in  the  vegetable  kingdom  of  more  strongly  marked 


Fig.  105.— Form  of  flower  com- 
mon to  the  Cruciferffi. 


Fig.  106.  — Arrange- 
ment of  stamens  com- 
mon to  the  CrucifenB. 


IN'ASTURTIUM. 


95 


characteristics,  both  of  organic  structure  and  chemical  composition,  than 
this  ;  and  hence  to  know  a  single  plant  of  the  family  well — for  example, 
mustard — is  to  know  them  all.  Many  of  them — for  instance,  the  cabbage 
and  turnip — have  been  modified  to  a  considerable  extent  by  long  cultiva- 
tion, and  have  become  valuable  articles  of  food. 


NASTURTIUM. 


Character  of  the  Genus. — Pod  a  silique  or  silicle,  linear-oblong  or  glob- 
ular, nearly  or  quite  round.  Seeds  small,  numerous,  marginless,  in  two 
iri-egular  rows  in  each  cell.  Cotyledons  accumbeut.  Annual,  biennial,  or 
perennial  herbs,  aquatic  or  growing  in  marshes  and  wet  places,  with  white 
or  yellow  flowers,  and  com- 
monly smooth,  shining,  pin- 
nate or  piunatifid  leaves. 

Nasturtium  officinale 
Robert  Brown. — M'ater-cress. 

Description. — Calyx  :  se- 
pals ovate,  caducous.  Co- 
rolla :  petals  white,  twice  the 
length  of  the  sepals.  Siliques 
one-half  to  two-thirds  inch 
long,  bending  upward,  more 
or  less,  on  divergent,  ascend- 
ing pedicels,  of  nearly  the 
same  length.  Root  biennial, 
long,  and  creeping.  Stem 
spreading  and  rooting. 
Leaves  pinnate  ;  leaflets  3  to 
11,  roundish  or  oblong,  near- 
ly entire,  the  terminal  one 
largest. 

Habitat. — Introduced  fi'om 
Europe,  where  it  has  long  been  cultivated  as  a  salad.     Escaping  from  cul- 
tivation here,   it  has  become  established  in  brooks  and  ditches. 

Nasturtium  Armoracia  Fries  {GochleariaArmoraciaJjmnd).— Horse- 
radish. 

Description.— Calyx  :  sepals  ovate,  obtuse,  caducous.  Corolla  :  petals 
white,  twice  the  length  of  the  sepals.  Style  very  short,  persistent.  Pod 
nearly  globular,  about  4-seeded,  seldom  attaining  perfection  here  or  in 
Britain.  Root  perennial,  large,  tapering,  6  to  12  inches  long.  Stem  erect, 
2  to  3  feet  high.  Radical  leaves  long  and  large,  crenate,  seldom  piunat- 
ifid :  stem-leaves  smaller  and  narrower  than  the  radical,  the  lower  ones 
7 


Fig.  107. — Nasturtium  officinale. 


94 


CRUCIFEE.E. 


often  deeply  toothed  or  pinnatifid,  tlie  upper  lanceolate,  sparsely  toothed. 
Flowers  small,  in  numerous  racemes,  forming  a  terminal  j)anicle. 

Habitat. — Introduced  from  Europe  and  cultivated  chiefly  as  a  condi- 
ment. Escaping  from  cultivation,  it  has  become,  to  some  extent,  natural- 
ized. It  grows  best  in  deep,  rich,  moist  soil,  and  when  once  well  estab- 
lished is  difficult  to  eradicate. 

Two  strictly  indigenous  species  of  this  genus,  namely,  N.  jjalustre  De 
CandoUe — Marsh-cress,  and  N.  lacustre  Gray — Lake-cress,  possess  proj^erties 

similar  to  those  described 
above,  but  as  they  are  sel- 
dom, if  ever,  employed,  their 
description  is  omitted. 

Palis  Used. — Water-  cress, 
the  herb ;  horseradish,  the 
leaves  and  root.  Neither  is 
official. 

Constituents. — Water-cress 
distilled  v/ith  water  yields  a 
volatile  oil,  probably  identical 
with  volatile  oil  of  mustard  ; 
horseradish,  treated  in  like 
manner,  yields  a  similar  oil, 
ha\dng  the  same  chemical 
composition  as  volatile  oil  of 
nnistard,  but  a  slightly  differ- 
ent odor.-  This  oil  does  not 
pre-exist  in  the  plant,  but  is 
formed  during  the  process  of 
distillation,  as  is  the  case  with 
many  other  volatile  oils.  It  is 
intensely  acrid  and  iiTitating. 
Preparations.  —  None  are 
official.  The  expressed  juice 
of  water-cress  has  been  ad- 
ministered. Horseradish  is 
generally  employed  in  infusion,  though  there  is  an  official  {British  Phar- 
macoiyoeia)  preparation,  Sjnritus  armoracice  eompositus — compound  s^nrit  of 
horseradish. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses.  —Water-cress,  though  used  chiefly  as  a 
stimulating  salad  to  sharpen  the  appetite  and  aid  digestion,  possesses  mild 
antiscorbutic  properties,  and  is  used  in  domestic  practice  as  a  "  blood 
purifier  "  in  the  spring  of  the  year.  It  probably  acts  simply  as  a  stimulant 
to  the  functions  of  digestion  and  assimilation.  Externally  it  is  sometimes 
employed  as  a  couuterirritant.     Horseradish  possesses  properties  similar  to. 


Pig.  108.— Nastnrtinm  (cochlearia)  Armoracia. 


BRASSICA SINAPIS.  95 

"but  more  intense  than  those  of  water-cress.  It  is  chiefly  used  as  a  stimu- 
lating condiment.  Externally  the  bruised  root,  or  more  frequently  the 
leaves  are  used  as  a  counterirritant. 

The  acrid  principles  of  these  plants  appear,  clinically,  to  be  eliminated 
by  the  kidneys,  and  hence,  incidentally,  they  produce  a  decided  diuretic 
effect.  The  lu-ine  is  not  only  increased  in  quantit}-,  but  partakes  also  of 
the  acrid  character  of  the  plant  employed.  In  one  case  that  came  under 
the  author's  observation  the  individual,  though  in  j^erfect  health  so  far  as 
the  genito-urinary  tract  was  concerned,  suffered  extremely  from  vesical 
pain  and  irritation  for  hours  after  using  horseradish  as  a  condiment. 

BRASSICA.— SiNAPis. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Pod  linear,  cylindrical  or  nearly  so,  smooth 
or  with  stiff  hairs,  more  or  less  beaked  at  the  top,  the  beak  consisting  of 
the  persistent  style  alone,  or  including  a  portion  of  the  pod  and  a  single 
seed.  Seeds  globose,  in  a  single  row ;  the  cotyledons  folded  longitudi- 
nally over  the  radicle. 

Annual  or  biennial  herbs,  smooth  or  bristly,  the  lower  leaves  generally 
deepl}^  pinnate  or  lyrate,  the  uj^per  sometimes  entire.  Flowers  yellow,  in 
axillary  and  terminal  racemes. 

No  plants  of  this  genus  are  indigenous  to  North  America,  but  several 
foreign  species  have  become  naturalized,  the  most  important  of  which  are 
described  below. 

Brassica  alba  Boissier  {Sinapis  alba  Liuue). — Wldte  3Iustard. 

Description. — Flowers  rather  large,  about  one-half  inch  in  diameter. 
Pods  three-fourths  to  one  inch  long  on  divergent  ascending  pedicels,  more 
than  half  the  length  occupied  by  the  stout,  flattened,  often  curved,  1-seeded 
Leak  ;  the  valves  and  lower  part  of  the  beak  covered  with  stiif,  bristly  hairs. 
Stem  1  to  2  feet  high,  smooth  or  with  stiff  hairs.  Leaves  pinnately  lobed 
or  divided,  the  lobes  ovate  or  oblong,  coarsely  toothed,  the  terminal  one 
largest. 

Habitat. — Introduced  from  Eui'ope  and  sparingly  naturalized  in  culti- 
Tated  grounds. 

Brassica  nigra  Koch  [Sinapis  vigra  Linne). — Black  Mustard. 

Description. — Flowers  smaller  than  in  white  mustard.  Pods  about  one- 
half  inch  long,  on  short,  appressed  pedicels,  smooth,  slightly  conical  at  the 
base,  the  apex  tipped  with  the  short,  persistent  style.  Stem  2  to  3  feet 
high,  erect,  freely  branched.  Lower  leaves  deeply  divided,  with  one  large 
ovate  or  oblong  terminal  lobe  and  smaller  lateral  ones  ;  upjDcr  leaves  often 
entire. 

Habitat. — Introduced  from  Europe.  Better  established  than  white  mus- 
tard. 

Part  Used. — The  seed.  Official  name  :  Sinapis  alba — white  mustard  ; 
Sinapis  nigra — black  mustard. —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 


96 


CEUCIFEE^. 


Constituents. — The  white  mustard-seed  is  about  one-twelfth  of  an  inch 
in  diameter,  almost  globular,  and  of  a  yellowish  color  ;  the  black  mustard- 
seed  one  twenty-fifth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  similar  shape,  blackish- 
brown.  Both  yield  a  yellow  powder,  and  both  contain  a  considerable 
percentage  of  fixed  oil,  which  is  bland,  inodorous,  and  non-drying.  Their 
active  irritating  constituents  are,  however,  though  similar,  far  from  identi- 
cal, that  of  black  mustard  being 
a  volatile  oil,  while  that  of  white 
mustard  cannot  be  obtained  by 
distillation.  In  neither  case 
does  the  acrid  principle  pre-ex- 
ist in  the  seed,  but  is  formed  by 
chemical  reaction  or  fermen- 
tation of  existing  principles 
when  brought  into  contact  with 
each  other  in  the  presence  of 
water.  The  reaction  differing 
so  widely  in  results  in  the  two 
cases  is  thus  explained  :  Black 
mustard  has  as  one  of  its  constit- 
uents a  crystallizable  substance 
termed  sinnigrin,  which  in  the 
presence  of  another  constituent, 
^nyrosin,  an  albuminous  body, 
and  water,  is  decomposed,  yield- 
ing sugar,  bisulphate  of  potas- 
sium, and  the  volatile  oil  of 
mustard.  White  miistard,  on 
the  other  hand,  though  contain- 
ing onyrosin,  has  instead  of  sinnigrin  a  similar  complex  substance,  termed 
sinalbin,  which  is  decomposed  by  myrosin  in  the  presence  of  water,  yield- 
ing sugar,  sulphate  of  sinapin,  and  sulphocyanate  of  acrinyl,  the  latter 
being  the  acrid  principle. 

Preparations. — Of  white  mustard,  none  ;  of  black  mustard,  Charta 
sinapis — mustard  paper. —  United  States  Fharmacopoeia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — These  are  too  well  known  to  requu-e 
more  than  mere  mention.  As  an  aid  to  digestion  it  is  used  in  eveiy 
household.  As  a  prompt  and  efficient  emetic  it  is  almost  always  at  hand 
and  the  first  to  be  employed  in  emergencies.  As  a  rubefacient  its  sphere 
of  usefulness  is  practically  unlimited. 


Fig.  10!).— Brassiea  (sinapis)  nigra. 


CAPSELLA. 


Capsella  Bursa-pastoris  Moench  {Thlaspi  Bursa-pastoris  Linne).- 
Shepherd's  Purse. 


CAPSELLA. 


97 


tion. — Flowers  small,  white.  Pods  obcordate-triangular,  flat- 
tened at  right  angles  to  the  partition,  wingless,  each  valve  10-  to  12-seeded, 
in  long,  loose  racemes.     Cotyledons  incumbent. 

A  small  annual,  with  an  erect,  hairy  stem 
and  a  long,  tapering  root.  Eadical  leaves 
clustered,  pinnatifid  or  toothed,  rarely  entire ; 
stem-leaves  oblong  or  lanceolate,  entire  or 
toothed,  clasj)iug  the  stem  with  projecting 
auricles.  It  flowers  from  early  spring  until 
winter. 

Habitat. — A  native  of  Europe  or  West- 
ern Asia,  it  has  followed  man  into  almost 
every  extra-tropical  region  and  become  one 
of  the  commonest  weeds  kno^\Tl. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents.  —  Shepherd's  purse  has  a 
pungent,  bitter  taste,  and  on  distillation 
yields  a  volatile  oil  identical  with  oil  of  mus- 
tard. 

Preparations. — There  are  none.  The  ex- 
pressed juice  or  infusion  may  be  employed. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — This  j^lant 
has  been  used  as  a  tonic,  astringent,  and 
antiscorbutic.  There  is  perhaps  more  tes- 
timony in  support  of  its  efficacy  as  an  as- 
tringent in  hemorrhages  from  the  lungs, 
kidneys,  bladder,  uterus,  etc.,  than  for  any  other  purpose,  but  even  tliis 
testimony  is  incomplete  and  unsatisfactory.  Once  highly  esteemed,  it 
has  fallen  into  entire— and  probably  merited — neglect. 


Fig.  110. — Capsella  Buvsa-pastoris. 


VIOLACE/E. 


Character  of  the  Order. — Perennial,  rarely  annual,  herbs,  vnth  simple 
alternate  or  radical  stipulate  leaves  and  nodding  flowers,  either  solitary 
or  in  cymes,  racemes,  or  panicles.  Calyx  of  5  persistent  sepals.  Corolla 
somewhat  irregular,  1-spurred,  of  five  unequal  petals,  imbricated  in  the 
bud.  Stamens  5,  hypogynous,  their  filaments  projecting  beyond  the  an- 
ther cells  and  converging  over  the  pistil.  Ovary  1-celled,  with  3  parietal 
placentae ;  style  club-shaped  ;  stigma  simple,  turned  to  one  side.  Fru^it  a 
3-valved,  many-seeded  capsule,  the  valves,  after  opening,  folding  longitu- 
dinally and  projectmg  the  seeds.  Seeds  comparatively  large,  anatropous  ; 
cotyledons  flat. 

An  order  of  plants  more  remarkable  for  their  beauty  and  fragrance — 
many  of  them  lack  the  latter  quahty — than  for  any  medicinal  or  economic 


98  VIOLACE^ 

j)roperties.  Represented  in  North  America  by  two  genera,  namely,  lonid- 
ium  {Solea)  and  Viola,  the  former  comprising  three  and  the  latter  about 
thirty  species.  Very  few  plants  of  the  order  have  been  experimented 
with  therapeutically,  and  these  have  yielded  no  very  important  results, 

VIOLA.— Violet. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Sepals  extended  into  auricles  at  the  base, 
and  appearing  as  though  joined  at  their  sides.  Petals  somewhat  unequal, 
the  lower  one  spurred  at  the  base.  Stamens  closely  embracing  the  ovary, 
sHghtly  coherent,  the  two  lower  bearing  spurs  which  project  backward  into 
the  spurred  petal. 

In  addition  to  the  consj)icuous  colored  flowers,  several  of  the  sjDecies 
bear,  later  in  the  season,  other  flowers,  on  short  peduncles,  which  do  not 
open  but  become  fertilized  in  the  bud,  and  develop  their  capsules  at  or 
near  the  surface  of  the  ground  ;  these  are  much  more  fruitful  than  the 
colored  blossoms,  and  are  both  curious  and  interesting.  Most  of  the  spe- 
cies are  stemless  perennials. 

Viola  cucullata  Alton. —  Common  Blue  Violet. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  as  in  the  character  of  the  genus.  Corolla  : 
petals  variable  as  to  size  and  color,  generally  comparatively  large,  pale  or 
deep  violet-blue  or  purple,  sometimes  variegated  or  nearly  white,  the  twO' 
lateral  and  often  the  lower  one  bearded.;  sjDur  short  and  thick, 

A  stemless  perennial.  Rhizome  thickly  beset  with  fleshy  teeth, 
branching  and  forming  compact  masses.  Leaves  upright  on  long  petioles, 
cordate  with  a  broad  sinus,  varying  to  reniform  or  triangular,  smooth  or 
pubescent,  the  bases  rolled  inward  when  young.  Scajoes  simple,  3  to  10 
inches  high,  1-flowered,  produced  in  profusion.  Flowers  inodorous  or 
nearly  so,  appearing  in  April  or  May  and  continuing  to  be  produced 
throughout  the  summer. 

Habitat. — This  most  common  and  most  variable  species  is  abundant  in 
wet  places  from  the  Arctic  regions  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

Viola  pedata  Linne. — Bird-Foot  Violet. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  as  in  the  preceding.  Corolla  :  petals  large, 
beardless,  pale  or  deep  lilac-purple,  or  blue. 

A  stemless  perennial.  Rhizome  erect,  short,  thick,  abrupt.  Leaves 
all  3-  to  5-divided,  lateral  divisions  2-  to  3-parted,  linear  or  spatulate,  some- 
times 2-  to  3-toothed  or  cut  at  the  apex.  Flowers  1  inch  broad,  in  masses 
fragrant,  appearing  in  May  and,  occasionally,  another  crop  later  in  the 
season. 

Habitat. — In  sandy  soil ;  nearly  as  widely  distributed  as  the  preceding, 
but  far  less  common. 

Viola  tricolor  Linne. — Pansy,  Heart's  ease. 

Description. — Calyx:  sepals  as  in  the  preceding.  Corolla:  petals  large, 
variegated  M'ith  white,  yellow,  blue,  purj)le,  etc. 


VIOLA VIOLET.  99* 

Annual,  biennial,  or  sliort-lived  perennial,  with  short  vootstock  and 
erect,  angular,  branching,  leafy  stem.  Leaves  narrowly  oblong,  ovate  or 
cordate,  obtuse,  slightly  crenate  ;  stipules  large,  leaf-hke,  deeply  divided 
into  several  linear  or  oblong  lobes. 

Habitat. — A  native  of  Euroj)e,  the  pansy  has  long  been  cultivated  here 
as  an  ornamental  plant,  and  is  familiar  to  every  one  as  a  florist's  flower.  It 
has  escaped  from  cultivation  and  become,  to  some  extent,  naturalized.  In- 
deed, some  authorities  believe  that  a  variety  of  the  species  is  indigenous. 
When  growing  without  cultivation  it  rapidly  deteriorates  in  size  but  gains 
as  regards  its  medicinal  activity,  and  hence  the  uncultivated  plant  only  is 
ofiicial. 

Parts  Used. — Of  Viola  tricolor,  the  herb. —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 
The  other  species  are  not  official,  though  V.  pedata  was  so  at  one  time,  the 
rhizome  being  employed. 

Constituents. — Very  little  is  known  of  the  constituents  of  the  species 
of  violets  here  described.  An  alhed  species,  V.  odorata,  of  Europe,  has 
yielded  to  analysis  an  alkaloid — violin — analogous  to  emetin.'  All  the 
species  are  mucilaginous  and  emoUient,  but  beyond  this,  and  the  fact  just 
stated  regarding  V.  odorata,  their  constituents  ai'e  yet  to  be  investigated. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  They  are  chiefly  emj^loyed  in  decoc- 
tion, though  there  is  a  commercial  fluid  extract  of  V.  tricolor. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — All  species  of  the  violet  subjected  to  ex- 
periment appear  to  be  emetic  and  cathartic  when  administered  in  consider- 
able doses.  Their  nauseating  properties  probably  depend  upon  the  pres- 
ence of  violin  ;  and  to  this  and  the  mucilaginous  property  also  existing 
is  doubtless  due  their  expectorant  eftect  when  administered  in  bronchial 
and  pulmonary  affections.  At  present,  however,  little  use  is  made  of  them. 
The  sweet  violet  of  Em-ope  is  employed  there  in  the  preparation  of  a  syrup, 
which  is  used  chiefly  as  a  vehicle  on  account  of  its  beautiful  color  and 
agreeable  odor. 

Quite  recently  Dr.  Piffard  called  attention  to  the  value  of  viola  tricolor 
as  a  remedy  in  crusta  lactea,  for  which  it  was  much  used  in  Europe  years 
ago.  Owing  to  his  recommendation  of  the  plant  many  other  physicians 
have  subjected  it  to  experiment,  among  them  the  writer,  who,  though  less 
enthusiastic  in  his  praise  of  it  than  Dr.  Piffard,  feels  sure  that  it  exerts  a 
remedial  influence  upon  this  troublesome  disease. 

CISTACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Shrubs  or  herbs,  often  viscid.  Sepals  5,  un- 
equal, persistent,  the  outer  two  often  small  and  bract-like,  sometimes  want- 
ing ;  the  inner  three  larger  and  somewhat  twisted  in  the  bud.  Petals  5, 
equal,  hypogynous,  very  fugitive,  crumpled  in  the  bud,  and  twisted  in  a 

'  See  Rafinesque,  vol.  ii.,  p.  275. 


100  CISTACE/E. 

direction  opposite  to  that  of  the  sepals.  Stamens  indefinite,  distinct, 
liypogyiious  ;  filaments  slender  ;  anthers  innate.  Ovary  distinct,  1-  to 
many-celled,  few-  or  many-ovuled,  the  ovules  with  a  foramen  at  their  apex  ; 
style  single  or  none  ;  stigma  simple.  Fruit  a  capsule,  usually  3-  or  5-valved, 
occasionally  10-valved,  either  1-celled  or  imperfectly  5-  to  10-celled. 

Leaves  simple,  usually  entire,  the  lower  oiDposite,  the  upper  alternate, 
stij^ulate  or  exstipulate. 

A  small  and  unimportant  order,  comprising  in  North  America  three 
genera,  namely,  Helianthemum,  Hudsouia,  and  Lechea,  the  first-named 
only  being  represented  by  medicinal  species. 

HELIANTHEMUM.— KocK   Kose. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Sepals  and  petals  as  in  the  character  of  the 
order.  Ovary  1-celled  ;  style  short  or  none.  Most  North  American  species 
l)ear  two  crops  of  flowers,  of  widely  different  aspect.  The  early  flowers  are 
few  in  nmnber,  solitary  or  in  terminal  corymbs,  have  large  yellow  petals, 
and  produce  many-seeded  capsules,  while  the  later  ones  are  in  axillary 
clusters,  the  petals  small  and  inconspicuous  or  absent  altogether,  and  the 
capsules  few-seeded. 

Helianthemum  Canadense  Michaux. — Frosfweed,  Bock  Base. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  5,  the  outer  two  small.  Corolla  :  jDctals  of 
the  early  flowers  5,  large  and  showy,  opening  but  once,  in  sunshine,  and 
falling  the  next  day.     Expanded  flower  about  1  inch  broad. 

Stem  erect,  hairy,  i^ubescent,  6  to  18  inches  high,  at  first  simple,  ulti- 
mately branching.  Leaves  alternate,  entire,  lanceolate-oblong,  pubescent, 
about  1  inch  long.  Early  flowers  solitary  ;  secondary  flowers  in  axillary 
clusters.     Period  of  flowering,  June  to  August. 

Habitat. — In  dry,  sandy  soil  from  Canada  southward  ;  common. 

Helianthemum  corymbosum  Michaux. 

Descrijjtion. — Like  the  preceding,  except  that  the  flowers  are  in  terminal 
corymbs,  the  showy  ones  becoming  stalked,  while  the  others  are  sessile, 
and  the  whole  j^lant  being  more  pubescent. 

Habitat. — In  pine  barrens  from  New  Jersey  to  Florida,  along  the  coast. 

Part  Ui^ed. — The  herb— not  official. 

Constituents.— Hhe  only  constituent  of  therapeutic  activity  thus  far  dis- 
covered in  these  plants  is  tannin. 

Preparations. — There  are  various  commercial  preparations. 

Medical  Proioerties  and  Uses. — Frostweed  is  a  mild  astringent,  and  prob- 
ably nothing  more,  though  it  is  not  without  advocates  among  those  who 
aj)pear  to  think  every  plant  must,  of  necessity,  possess  therapeutic  virtues. 
Of  course  such  persons  value  it  highly  in  scrofula,  etc. 


DKOSERA SUNDEW. 


101 


DROSERACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Low,  glandular-hairy  herbs,  with  tufted  radi- 
cal leaves,  and  flowers  in  naked  1-sided  racemes,  growing  in  bogs  and 
marshes.  Sepals  5,  equal,  imbricate,  persistent.  Petals  5,  hypogynous, 
witherino-.  Stamens  distinct,  hypogynous,  equal  in  number  with  the 
petals,  and  alternate  with  them,  or  two  to  four  times  as  many.  Ovary 
single,  1-celled,  many-ovuled,  with  3  or  5  parietal  placentre  ;  styles  3  or  5, 
dee^Dly  bifid,  appearing  like  6  or  10.     Capsule  3-  or  5-valved,  many-seeded. 

An  order  represented  in  North  America  by  two  genera,  namely  Drosera 
and  Dionsea,  together  comprising  eight  species. 

DROSERA.— Sundew. 


bifid.     Seeds  linear,  with  s, 


Drosera  rotundifolia  Linne. — Round -leaved  Sundew. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  as  in  the  character  of  the  order.  Corolla  ; 
petals  oblong,  white.  Styles  very  short, 
loose,  membranaceous  coat.  Leaves  or- 
bicular, spreading,  abruptly  narrowed  to 
a  long,  hairy  petiole.  Scape  erect,  smooth, 
4  to  10  inches  high,  5-  to  10-flowei'ed. 
The  long,  glandular  hairs  are  tipped  with 
minute  drops  of  glutinous  material  which 
in  sunshine  look  like  dew-drops,  whence 
the  common  name,  sundew.  Annu.al  or 
biennial,  flowering  from  June  to  August. 

Habitat. — In  sphagnous  swamps  and 
bogs  from  the  Ai'ctic  regions  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico ;  also  in  corresponding  lati- 
tudes of  the  Eastern  hemisphere. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  juice  of  sundew  is 
bitter  and  acrid,  but  its  chemical  constit- 
uents are  unknown. 

Preparations. — The  expressed  juice  and 
an  alcoholic  tincture  of  the  recent  jAant 
have  been  employed. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses.  —The  ther- 
apeutic virtues  of  this  plant  are  alto- 
gether problematical.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  used  with  good  effect  in  pulmonary  phthisis,  but  as  the  same  state- 
ment has  been  made  regarding  almost  every  plant  known,  the  reader,  in 
the  absence  of  positive  evidence,  may  draw  his  own  conclusions, 
juice,  employed  topically,  is  said  to  cure  warts  and  corns. 


Fig.  111. — Drosera  rotundifolia. 


The 


102 


HYPERICACE^. 


HYPERICACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs  or  shrubs,  with  opposite,  entire,  dotted 
leaves,  and  commonly  yellow  flowers.  Sepals  4  or  5,  distinct  or  cohering, 
unequal,  dotted,  persistent.  Petals  4  or  5,  hypogynous,  generally  oblique 
and  twisted  in  the  bud,  often  dotted.     Stamens  indefinite,  hypogynous, 

collected  in  three  or  more 
clusters.  Ovary  single  ; 
styles  several,  rarely  uni- 
ted ;  stigma  simple,  occa- 
sionally capitate.  Fruit  a 
capsule,  many-valved, 
many-seeded  ;  juice  acrid 
and  resinous. 

A  comparatively  large 
order,  but  rej)resented  in 
North  America  by  only- 
three  genera,  namely,  As- 
cyrum,  Hypericum,  and 
Elodes. 


HYPERICUM.— St.  John's 
Wort. 

Hypericum  perfora- 
tum Linne.  —  St.  John's 
Wort. 

Description. — Calyx  :  se- 
pals 5,  nearly  equal,  erect, 
acute,  persistent.  Corolla : 
petals  5,  oblique,  convolute 
in  the  bud,  ovate,  twice  as 
long  as  the  sepals,  deep  yel- 
low with  black  dots.  Sta- 
mens very  numerous,  in  3  or  5  clusters  ;  anthers  dotted  like  the  petals. 
Styles  3,  separate,  commonly  diverging.     Capsule  3-celled,  many-seeded. 

An  herbaceous  perennial  weed,  with  a  ligneous  root  and  an  erect 
branching  stem,  1  to  14-  foot  high.  Leaves  opposite,  entire,  sessile,  el- 
liptical-oblong or  oblong-linear,  beset  with  numerous  pellucid  dots  re- 
sembling iDerforations,  whence  the  specific  name.  Flowers  numerous,  in 
open  leafy  cymes,  appearing  throughout  the  summer. 

Habitat. — St.  John's  wort  is  a  plant  of  Eastern  origin  which  has  become 
naturalized  in  all  temperate  regions,  and  is  to  the  farmer  a  most  per- 
nicious weed  and  one  very  difficult  to  eradicate. 


Fig.  112. — Hypericum  perforatum. 


SAPONARIA SOAPWORT.  103 

Part  Used. — The  flowering  tops — not  official. 

Constituents. — St.  John's  wort  has  as  yet  yielded  to  analysis  nothing 
more  interesting  than  a  peculiar  red  coloring  matter,  and  nothing  what- 
ever to  inspire  confidence  in  its  therapeutic  activity. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  ofiicial  preparations.  The  flowering  tops, 
digested  with  olive  or  linseed  oil,  yield  a  yellowish-red  product,  termed 
oleum  hyperici,  or  red  oil,  which  is  a  preparation  considerably  used  in  do- 
mestic practice. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — In  ancient  times,  when  nature  unaided 
was  supposed  to  be  incompetent  to  heal  a  cut  or  cure  a  contusion,  St. 
John's  wort  was  very  highly  esteemed,  and,  it  may  be  added,  it  is  still 
esteemed  by  those  who  hold  the  same  opinions  of  nature's  powers.  Li 
scientific  medicine,  however,  it  holds  no  place,  having  become  obsolete 
long  ago.  One  author  only  of  comparatively  recent  date  considers  "the 
saturated  tincture  nearly  as  valuable  as  that  of  arnica  for  bruises,  etc." 
As  tincture  of  arnica,  however,  apart  from  the  alcohol  which  it  contains, 
is  of  doubtful  efficacy  in  these  cases,  the  above  statement  does  not  tend  to 
inspire  faith  in  St.  John's  wort. 

CARYOPHYLLACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  with  stems  swollen  at  the  joints,  op- 
posite, entire  leaves,  and  regular  flowers.  Sepals  4  or  5,  distinct  or  coher- 
ing, persistent.  Petals  4  or  5,  with  narrow  claws,  sometimes  wanting. 
Stamens  distinct,  not  more  than  twice  the  number  of  the  sepals,  hypogy- 
nous  or  perigynous.  Ovary  solitary,  often  supported  on  a  stalk,  commonly 
1-celled,  occasionally  3-  to  5-celled,  with  a  free  central  placenta  ;  styles  2 
to  5,  sometimes  united  into  one.  Fruit  a  1-celled,  many-seeded  capsule, 
opening  by  2  to  5  valves  or  by  teeth  at  the  apex. 

Few  strictly  North  American  species  of  this  large  order  are  known  to 
possess  medicinal  virtues.  Indeed,  plants  of  this  order  are  everywhere 
characterized  by  blandness  and  an  absence  of  active  or  irritating  properties. 

SAPONARIA.  — SoAPWORT. 

Saponaria  officinalis  Linne. — Soapioort,  Bouncing  Bet. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  united,  forming  a  cylindrical  tube,  di^dded 
at  the  apex  into  five  pointed  teeth.  Corolla  :  i^etals  5,  limb  somewhat 
cordate,  claw  long  and  angular  with  an  appendage  at  the  top.  Stamens 
10,  longer  than  the  calyx.  Styles  2.  Capsule  short-stalked,  1-celled,  4- 
toothed,  many-seeded. 

A  perennial  herb,  strongly  rooted,  with  erect  stem  1  to  2  feet  high. 
Leaves  oval,  entire,  pointed,  3-ribbed,  connate.  Flowers  in  axillary  and 
terminal  clusters,  pale  rose-colored  or  nearly  white,  often  double,  appear- 
ing from  July  to  September. 


104  MALVACE^. 

Habitat. — A  native  of  Eui-ope,  soapwort  has  escaped  from  gardens  and 
is  often  met  with  fully  established  in  waste  places  and  along  roadsides. 

Part  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constituents. — Soapwort  has  a  sweetish,  glutinous,  and  somewhat  bitter 
taste,  followed  by  a  certain  degree  of  acrimony.  Its  only  irajjortant  con- 
stituent is  saponin,  which  causes  decoctions  of  the  root,  upon  agitation,  to 
j)roduce  a  sajDonaceous  froth. 

Preparations. — There  are  none.     It  may  be  employed  in  decoction. 

Medical  Propierties  and  Uses. — A  hundred  years  or  more  ago  soapwort 
was  believed  to  be  a  valuable  alterative,  and  was  employed  in  syphilis, 
gout,  rheumatism,  etc.,  with  effects  similar  to  those  attributed  to  sarsa- 
parilla.  Little  has  been  added  to  our  knowledge  of  the  plant  since  then. 
As  it,  in  common  with  quillaia  {soapj-hark),  contains  saponin,  it  might  rea- 
sonably be  employed  for  the  same  purposes  as  the  latter.  That  saponin, 
the  active  principle  of  these  plants,  is  physiologically  active  is  beyond 
question,  but  its  therapeutic  effects  require  further  investigation. 

SILENE.— Catch  Fly. 

Silene  Virginica  Linne. — Fire  Pink,  Catch  Fly. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  united,  forming  an  oblong-cylindrical 
tube,  5-toothed  at  the  apex,  viscid-pubescent.  Corolla  :  petals  5,  oblong, 
limb  2-cleft,  1  inch  long.  Stamens  10,  longer  than  the  calyx.  Styles  3, 
rarely  4.     Capsule  1-celled,  3-  or  6-toothed  at  the  apex,  many-seeded. 

A  viscid -pubescent  perennial  herb,  1  to  2  feet  high.  Leaves  thin,  the 
lower  spatulate,  upper  oblong-lanceolate.  Flowers  few,  large,  deep  crim- 
son, peduncled,  in  loose  cymes,  appearing  from  June  to  August. 

Habitat. — In  rich,  open  woods  from  Canada  to  Georgia  and  westward  to 
the  Mississippi.     Rare  in  New  York  and  New  England. 

Part  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constit  uents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — There  are  none.     It  has  been  used  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — From  Barton  we  learn  that  this  plant 
was  used  in  Virginia  as  an  anthelmintic,  but  he  seems  to  have  had  no 
personal  experience  with  it ;  and  since  his  time  we  have  no  record  of  ex- 
periments to  test  its  efficacy. 

MALVACE^. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs  or  shrubs,  with  alternate,  stipulate,  pal- 
mately  veined  leaves  and  regular  flowers.  Sepals  5,  united  at  the  base, 
valvate  in  the  bud,  persistent,  often  bearing  an  involucre  of  bracts  outside, 
forming  a  kind  of  external  calyx.  Petals  5,  convolute  in  the  bud,  often  large 
and  showy.     Stamens  indefinite,  hypogynous  ;  filaments  coherent,  forming 


ALTIT.EA ]MARSII-MALLOW. 


105 


a  column  and  united  at  their  base  with  the  claws  of  the  petals  ;  anthers 
reniform,  opening  along  the  top.  Ovary  compound,  formed  by  the  union 
of  several  carpels  around  a  common  axis  ;  styles  as  many  as  the  carpels, 
distinct  or  united.  Fi-uit  a  many-valved  and  usually  many-seeded  capsule. 
A  large  order  of  mostly  tropical  and  sub-tropical  plants,  many  of  which 
are  cultivated  for  ornamental  or  economic  purposes.  In  general  they  are 
mucilaginous  and  have  no  active  or  deleterious  properties.  There  are, 
however,  some  exceptions.  The  sj^ecies  indigenous  to  North  America 
have  not  been  investigated  to  any  considerable  extent,  but  from  what  is 
known  of  the  order  as  a  whole,  there  is  little  reason  for  believing  that  such 
investigation  would  yield  very  imjDortant  results. 


ALTH.E  A.— Marsh-Mallow. 

A Ith £ea  off i c i  n al i s  Linm'.  — Marsh-Malloio. 

De-scription. — Calyx  :  se^jals  united  at  the  base,  the  free  segments  nar- 
rowly triangular,  acute  ;  involucre  of  7  to  10,  erect,  subulate,  triangular 
segments  half  as  long  as  the  calyx  ; 
both  calyx  and  involucre  densely 
pubescent,  persistent.  Corolla  : 
petals  obcordate,  wedge-shaped, 
coherent  at  their  bases,  pale  rose- 
color,  twisted  in  the  bud.  Sta- 
mens as  in  the  character  of  the 
order.  Ovary  roundish,  flattened, 
many-celled,  each  cell  containing 
a  single  ovule  ;  styles  numerous, 
coherent  at  the  base,  free  above, 
stigmatic  on  the  inner  side.  Fruit 
flattened-spherical,  composed  of 
numerous  dry,  round,  flattened, 
indehiscent  carjaels  attached  to, 
and  radiating  from  a  central  axis, 
separating  from  each  other  at  ma- 
turity. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  Avith 
a  lai-ge,  long,  fleshy,  tapering  root, 
and  numerous  erect,  stiff  stems, 
2  to  4  feet  high.  Leaves  on  long 
petioles,  the  lower  roundish-ovate, 
the  upper  triangular-oval  or  some- 
what 3-  to  5-lobed,  irregularly  cut, 
acutely  serrate,  finely  pubescent ;  stipules  narrowly  triangular,  caducous. 
Flowers  1  to  2  inches  wide,  in  axillary  clusters  of  2  to  4  each,  and  termi- 
nal, leafy  panicles,  appearing  in  Augiist  and  September. 


FiQ.  113.— Althaea  officinalis. 


106  MALVACE^. 

Habitat. — Indigenous  to  Europe,  but  naturalized  in  salt  marslies  along 
the  coast  of  New  England,  New  York,  and  New  Jersey. 

Part  Used. — The  root — United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  The  root  of  the 
cultivated  plant  is  commonly  employed,  and,  as  occurring  in  commerce,  is 
deprived  of  its  bai'k. 

Constituents. — The  dried  root  contains  as  its  most  important  constitu- 
ents about  twenty-five  per  cent,  each  of  starch  and  mucilage.  There  are 
also  present  pectin,  asparagin,  sugar,  phosphate  of  calcium,  cellulose,  and  a 
little  fatty  oil. 

Preparations. — Syrupus  althsete — syrup  of  slilisi^.— United  States  Phar- 
macopoeia. This  is  made  by  dissolving  sugar,  without  heat,  in  a  cold  in- 
fusion of  the  root,  and  is  therefore  j)ractically  free  from  starch,  boiling 
water  being  necessary  to  extract  all  the  soluble  constituents,  while  the 
mucilaginous  properties  are  readily  imjDarted  to  cold  water.  The  pow- 
dered root  is  often  used  to  impart  a  projDer  consistence  to  soft  pill  masses, 
and  also  in  the  preparation  of  emollient  poultices. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  constituents  of  marsh-mallow  indicate 
clearly  enough  its  therapeutic  application.  It  is  emollient  and  demulcent, 
and  may  be  used  freely  in  inflammatory  affections,  either  internally  or 
topically  as  occasion  requires.  Being  nutritious  also  it  is,  in  certain  cases, 
superior  to  many  demulcents  in  common  use.  As  a  topical  application  it 
has  a  wide  range  of  usefulness. 


M  ALVA. —Mallow. 

Malva  rotund ifolia  lAnnd.— Common  3IaUow. 

Description. — Calyx  with  a  3-leaved  involucre  ;  otherwise  as  in  althaea. 
Corolla,  stamens,  ovary,  styles,  and  fruit  similar  in  structure  to  those  of 
althaea. 

A  small  biennial  herb,  with  a  long,  tapering  root  and  procumbent 
stems.  Leaves  round,  heart-shaped,  somewhat  plaited,  crenate,  smooth, 
bluish-green,  on  long  petioles.  Flowers  small,  Avhitish,  aiDpearing  through- 
out the  summer. 

Habitat. — One  of  the  commonest  weeds  in  door-yards  and  waste  jolaces 
about  dwellings.  A  native  of  Europe,  it  follows  civilized  man  most  persist- 
ently and  takes  root  wherever  he  establishes  himself. 

Part  Used. — The  herb,  including  the  root — not  official. 

Constituents. — It  possesses  mucilaginous  properties  similar  to  those  of 
marsh-maUow. 

Preparations. — The  decoction  is  employed  in  domestic  practice.  The 
fresh  herb,  bruised,  is  employed  topically. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Similar  to  those  of  marsh-mallow. 


GOSSYPIUM— COTTO]N'.  lO\ 


GOSS  YPIUM.  —Cotton. 


Gossypium  herbaceum  Linne. — Cotton  Plant. 

Description. — Calyx  tubular-eampanulate,  obscurely  5-tootlied,  much 
sliorter  than  the  epicalyx  of  3  large,  cordate,  deeply  incised  and  toothed 
leaves.  Corolla :  petals  large,  convolute  ip  the  bud,  spreading  when  ex- 
jjanded,  irregularly  ubovate-truncate,  wedged -shaped  at  the  base,  yellow, 
with  a  purple  sjiot  changing  to  reddish-brown.  Stamens  numerous,  uni- 
ted and  forming  a  long  tube,  connected  at  the  base  with  the  claws  of  the 
petals.  Ovary  conical,  3-  to  5-celled,  many-ovuled.  Style  simple,  longer 
than  the  stamens  •  stigma  clavate,  slightly  3-  to  5-lobed.     Fruit  a  3-  to  5- 


FiG.  114.— Gossypium  herbaceum.     Flower  and  fruit. 

celled  capsule,  opening  at  maturity  through  the  middle  of  the  cells  and 
exposing  numerous  seeds  covered  with  the  white  filaments  so  well  known 
as  cotton. 

A  stout  herbaceous  plant,  with  an  erect,  branching,  leafy  stem,  about  5 
feet  high,  naturally  perennial  but  cultivated  as  an  annual.  Leaves  large, 
3  to  G  inches  long,  3-  to  5-lobed,  with  a  single  gland  below,  strongly  veined, 
the  lobes  acuminate  and  mucronate  ;  petioles  about  as  long  as  the  blade, 
stiff"  and  angular.  Lower  leaves  often  2-  or  3-lobed.  Flowers  large,  3 
inches  broad,  alternate,  opposite  the  leaves  ;  pedicels  similar  to  the 
petioles  but  shorter. 

Habitat. — The  cotton  plant  has  been  cultivated  for  so  great  a  length  of 
time  that  its  natural  habitat  is  uncertain.  It  flourishes  within  the  limits 
of  36°  north  and  south  of  the  equator.  Though  scarcely  naturalized,  the 
extent  to  which  it  is  cultivated  in  the  Southern  States  entitles  it  to  a  place 
among  North  American  plants. 

Part  Used. — The  bark  of  the  root :  Gossypii  radicis  cortex — cotton- 
root  bark.     Gossypium — cotton — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — Of  cotton  it  is  only  necessary  to  state  that  the  article 


108  LIN  ACE  j:. 

directed  by  the  Pharmacopoeia  is  the  so-called  absorbent  cotton,  prepared 
by  freeing  the  filaments  from  impurities  and  fatty  matter. 

Cotton-root  bark  contains,  in  addition  to  starch,  glucose,  and  other 
common  vegetable  constituents,  a  resinous  body  whose  exact  character  is 
as  yet  not  fully  established,  but  to  which  the  medicinal  virtues  of  the  drug 
are  attributed. 

Preparations. — Of  cotton-root  bark  :  Extractum  gossypii  radicis  fluidum 
— fluid  extract  of  cotton  i-oot.  Of  cotton  :  Pyroxylinum — pyroxylin  {gun- 
cotton). —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

lledical  Projjerties  and  Uses. — Cotton  root  was  introduced  to  profes- 
sional notice  as  a  specific  uterine  tonic  after  having  long  been  used  among 
the  negroes  of  the  Southern  States  as  an  abortifacient.  Its  action  upon 
the  uterus  is  similar  to  that  of  ergot,  and  it  is  used  instead  of  the  latter  in 
cases  of  uterine  inertia  during  parturition,  and  in  amenorrhcea,  dysmen- 
orrhoea,  and  scanty  menstruation.  Whether  its  action  upon  the  system 
at  large  be  also  similar  to  that  of  ergot  is  unknown  but  worthy  of  inves- 
tigation, f  (3  iJ;'    ,:  ■  .. 

The  fact  that  the  bark  of  cotton  root  should  be  possessed  of  such  active 
properties  is  an  interesting  and  suggestive  one,  for  it  aftbrds  the  only  in- 
stance of  specific  virtues  attributed  to  a  plant  of  the  order  malvacece.  It 
will  be  noted  that  it  is  only  the  bark  of  the  root  that  possesses  these  prop- 
erties, all  other  parts  of  the  j)lant  partaking  of  the  bland  character  of  the 
order,  the  seeds  especially — which  not  unfrequentl}'  possess  the  most 
active  principles  of  plants — in  this  instance  yielding  a  bland  oil  which 
is  largely  used  as  an  adulterant  of  olive  oil.  Now  in  an  order  of  plants 
of  such  strongly  marked  characteristics  as  the  malvaceoe,  the  discovery  of 
striking  propei'ties  in  any  individual  should  stimulate  investigation  of 
other  related  individuals,  for  it  may  reasonably  be  assumed  that  investi- 
gation which  starts  with  a  rational  clue  will  be  more  fruitful  in  results 
than  if  conducted  entirely  in  a  haphazard  manner. 

LINACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  with  entire,  alternate,  opposite  or  verti- 
cillate,  exstipulate  leaves,  and  regular,  symmetrical,  hypogynous  flowers. 
Sepals  3  to  5,  imbricate.  Petals  3  to  5,  convolute  in  the  bud.  Stamens 
?>  to  5,  usually  with  intermediate  abortive  ones,  united  into  a  short  tube  at 
the  base.    Pod  having  twice  as  many  cells  as  there  are  styles,  each  1-seeded. 

A  small  order,  represented  in  North  America  by  the  genus  Linum,  com- 
prising no  indigenous  species  of  medicinal  or  economic  importance.  The 
species  described  below,  though  introduced,  has  been  under  cultivation  so 
long  that  it  requires  brief  notice. 


LINUM FLAX. 


109 


LINUM.— Flax. 

Linum  usitatissimum  Linue. — Common  Flax. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  ovate,  acute.  Corolla :  petals  large,  -svitli 
a  broad  limb  and  short  claw,  deep  violet-blue,  fugacious.  Stamens  5,  al- 
ternating with  five  abortive  ones,  all  united  at  the  base,  forming  a  short 
tube  ;  anthers  small,  versatile,  deep  blue. 
Ovary  flask-shaped,  5-celled  at  the  base, 
each  cell  2-ovuled ;  styles  5,  distinct. 
Fruit  an  imperfectly  10-celled  capsule. 

An  erect  annual,  1  to  2  feet  high. 
Stem  commonly  solitary,  stiff,  smooth, 
round,  branching  near  the  top.  Leaves 
alternate,  sessile,  linear-lanceolate,  acu- 
minate, entire.  Flowers  solitary,  at  the 
ends  of  the  branches. 

Habitat. — Flax  has  been  cultivated 
from  time  immemorial,  so  that  its  na- 
tive home  is  unknown.  In  all  countries 
where  cultivated  it  becomes  sjiaringly 
naturalized,  occurring  spontaneously  un- 
der favorable  circumstances. 

Fart  Used. — The  seed.  Official  name, 
Linum — United  States  Fharmacopceia. 

Constituents. — The  most  important 
constituents  of  flaxseed  are  fixed  oil  and 
mucilage — both  too  well  known  to  re- 
quire comment.  ^'''-  ^^^-'^^^^  usitatissimum. 

Preparations. — Oleum  lini — oil  of  flaxseed. —  United  States  Fharmacopceia. 
The  seed,  unground,  is  employed  in  decoction  ;  ground,  under  the  name 
oi  flaxseed  meal  or  ground  flaxseed,  in  the  preparation  of  poultices,  etc. 

Iledical  Properties  and  Uses. — Flaxseed  tea  is  largely  employed  as  a 
demulcent  in  febrile  antl  inflammatory  affections,  and  topically  as  an  in- 
jection in  diseases  of  the  bladder,  rectum,  and  vagina.  The  seed  has  also 
been  recommended  as  a  substitute  for  cod-liver  oil,  on  account  of  the  nu- 
tritious material  which  it  contains.  Flaxseed  poultices  are  all  but  uni- 
versally employed  in  cases  requiring  emollient  applications.  Flaxseed — 
or,  as  it  is  commonly  termed,  linseed — oil  is  less  used  in  medicine  and 
pharmacy  than  formerly.  As  a  topical  agent  it  is  often  objectionable  on 
accoimt  of  its  drying  properties.  It  was  formerly  used  in  the  official  Lina- 
mentum  calcis — lime  liniment — U.  S.  F.  (carron  oil),  but  has  been  displaced 
by  cotton-seed  oil,  because  the  latter  is  not  possessed  of  drying  jDroperties 
and  hence  does  not  impart  to  surgical  dressings  the  inconvenient  and 
disagreeable  stiffness  so  generally  experienced  with  the  old  preparation. 


110  GERANIACE^. 

Linseed  oil  has  also  been  recommended  as  a  substitute  for  cod-liver 
oil,  but  as  such  has  not  borne  the  test  of  clinical  experience  in  a  manner 
to  inspire  faith  in  its  efficacy.  So  far  as  the  mere  elements  of  nutrition 
are  concerned,  there  appears  to  be  no  great  difference  between  the  two, 
but  there  are  other  factors  to  be  considered  in  the  case  of  cod-Hver  oiL 
The  ti-aces,  shght  though  they  be,  of  iodine,  bromine,  phosphorus,  etc.,  pres- 
ent in  this  oil  are  certainly  of  therapeutic  importance,  and  serve  to  make  it 
not,  as  some  have  claimed,  a  mere  fatty  food,  but  a  strongly  medicinal 
food,  for  which  we  cannot  reasonably  expect  to  find  a  complete  substitute 
in  the  vegetable  kingdom. 

CERANIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Annual  or  perennial  herbs,  or,  in  some  exotic 
species,  low  shrubs,  with  swollen  joints,  opposite  or  alternate,  commonly 
palmately  veined  leaves,  with  or  without  stipules.  Flowers  commonly  5- 
merous,  regular  and  symmetrical,  hypogynous  ;  sometimes  3-merous  ;  oc- 
casionally unsymmetrical,  especially  as  regards  the  calyx  and  corolla.  In 
the  most  characteristic  genera  the  arrangement  is  as  follows  :  sepals.  5, 
imbricate,  persistent  ;  petals  5,  convolute  in  the  bud,  deciduous  ;  stamens 
5  or  10 — when  of  the  latter  number  the  alternate  ones  shorter  or  abortive ; 
ovary  5-celled,  each  cell  2-ovuled,  aiTanged  about  an  elongated  axis,  to 
which  the  styles  are  adherent  ;  fruit  5-celled,  each  cell  1-seeded,  separating 
at  the  base  when  mature,  curling  upward,  and  when  detached  leaving  the 
dry  axis  persisting. 

The  order  is  difficult  to  characterize  as  a  whole,  some  of  the  unsym- 
metrical individuals  being  very  perplexing  ;  as  these,  however,  are  of  no 
medicinal  importance  they  need  not  receive  our  attention.  There  are  al- 
together half  a  dozen  North  American  genera,  namely,  Erodium,  Floerkia, 
Geranium,  Impatiens,  Limnanthes,  and  Oxalis. 

GERANIUM. 

Geranium  maculatum  Ijume.— Spotted  Geranium,  Wild  Cranesbill. 

Description. — Calyx :  sepals  lanceolate,  pointed,  -  hairy,  persistent. 
Corolla  :  i^etals  broadly  obovate  or  rounded,  pale  purple,  becoming  lighter 
after  expansion,  fugacious ;  claw  short,  bearded.  Stamens  10,  all  with 
perfect  anthers,  the  five  longer  ones  with  small  glands  at  their  base  alter- 
nate with  the  petals  ;  anthers  versatile,  2-celled,  purple.  Ovary  5-celled  ; 
pistils  adherent  to  the  axis,  free  at  the  summit  and  recurved,  with  stigmatic 
surfaces  inward.  Fruit  composed  of  5  dry,  hairy,  1-seeded  carpels,  sepa- 
rating at  the  base  when  mature,  and  curving  upward  elastically,  the  inner 
surface  smooth. 

An  herbaceous  perennial.     Khizome  cyHndrical,  2  to  3  inches  long, 


PLATE   IV. 


ihnson.  Del. 


GERANIUM    MACULATUM. 


Plate  IV. — Geranium  maculatum. 

Fig.  1. — Flowering  plant  (young),  natural  size. 
Fig.  2. — Flower,  deprived  of  corolla  ;  natural  size. 


GERANIUM.  113 

one-half  inch  thick,  more  or  less  branched,  pale  reddish-brown,  with  numer- 
ous fibrous  rootlets.  Stem  erect,  1  to  2  feet  high,  somewhat  branched 
dichotomously,  hairy.  Eadical  leaves  large,  on  long  hairy  petioles,  deeply 
cut  into  5  or  7  segments,  which  are  cuneate  or  oblong,  and  lobed  and  cut 
at  the  end  ;  stem-leaves  similar  in  shape  but  much  smaller,  opposite, 
placed  at  the  forks  of  the  stem,  sessile  or  on  short  petioles.  All  the  leaves 
are  at  first  green,  but  as  they  grow  old  become  more  or  less  blotched  with 
whitish  spots.  The  flower-stalks  arise  from  the  forks  of  the  stem,  each 
bearing  two  flowers,  one  inch  in  diameter,  on  shoi-t  pedicels.  The  flowers 
are  produced  from  May  till  July. 

Habitat. — Spotted  geranium  is  one  of  the  commonest  plants  in  open 
woods  from  Canada  to  Florida,  and  dm-ing  its  period  of  blooming  is  con- 
spicuously beautiful.  Though  its  flowers  are  less  showy  than  those  of 
many  of  the  exotic  garden  geraniums  (pelargonium),  to  the  lover  of  nature 
they  are  far  more  interesting  when  seen  displayed  in  lavish  profusion  in 
their  native  home,  the  woods. 

Fart  Used. — The  rhizome — United  States  Pharmacojxeia. 

Constituents. — Geranium  root  has  a  simple  astringent  taste,  due  to  a  con- 
siderable percentage  of  tannic  and  gallic  acids,  which  appear  to  be  its  only 
important  constituents,  though  there  are  also  present  gum,  starch,  pectin, 
resin,  coloring  matter,  etc. 

Preparations. — Extractum  geranii  fluidrun — fluid  extract  of  geranium. 
—  United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  As  geranium  imj)arts  its  virtues  readily  to 
both  water  and  alcohol,  it  may  be  administered  in  decoction  or  tincture. 
In  many  cases  to  which  the  drug  is  applicable  the  decoction  is  by  far  the 
most  eligible  preparation. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Geranium  is  justly  considered  one  of  our 
best  indigenous  astringents — one,  however,  whose  virtues  are  not  fully  ap- 
preciated by  the  profession  at  large.  Though  active  and  eflficient,  it  is  stiU 
mild  and  unirritating  and  devoid  of  all  unpleasant  or  offensive  properties. 
It  is  therefore  particularly  suited  to  the  later  stages  of  diaiThoea  and  dysen- 
tery, especially  in  children.  In  such  cases  a  decoction  in  milk  has  been 
found  very  serviceable.  It  has  also  been  employed  internally  in  a  variety 
■of  hemorrhages,  with  asserted  benefit.  As  a  topical  astringent  it  has  a  stiU 
wider  field  of  usefulness,  and  may  be  employed  in  any  case  to  which  this 
class  of  remedies  is  applicable,  such  as  catarrhal  inflammations  and  hemor- 
rhages from  mucous  surfaces.  As  an  injection  in  gonorrhoea,  gleet,  and 
leucorrhoea,  the  decoction  is  much  more  serviceable  than  a  simple  solution 
of  tannin,  doubtless  from  the  fact  that  there  is  present  mucilaginous  ma- 
terial which  exerts  a  soothing  influence.  In  fine  powder  the  drug  may  be 
employed  as  a  styptic  in  bleeding  from  the  nose  and  from  the  gums  after 
the  extraction  of  teeth. 

Finally,  geranium,  though  possessing  no  properties  of  a  specific  char- 
acter, is  undeniably  a  valuable  astringent,  and  since  the  cases  to  which  it 


114 


GEEANIACEiE. 


is  applicable  ai-e  so  numerous  and  the  plant  everywhere  so  common,  one 
is  led  to  wonder  that  it  is  not  more  generally  employed. 


OX  ALIS.— Wood-Sorrel. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Sepals  5,  distinct  or  united  at  the  base,  im- 
bricate, persistent.  Petals  5,  sometimes  united  at  the  base,  withering. 
Stamens  10,  more  or  less  united  at  the  base,  those  ojDposite  the  petals 
longer  than  the  others  ;  anthers  versatile.     Ovary  of  5  united  carjiels,  not 

beaked ;  styles  distinct.  Fruit  a 
5-celled,  5-angled  capsule  opening 
by  as  many  valves,  each  cell  2- 
seeded. 

Herbs,  either  annual  or  with  a 
tuberous  or  creeping  jDerennial  rhi- 
zome. Leaves  alternate  or  radical, 
palmately  trifoliate. 

Oxalis  Acetosella  Linne, — 
Wood-Sorrel. 

Description.  —  Calyx  :  sepals 
small,  ovate,  obtuse.  Corolla  :  pet- 
als obovate,  unguiculate,  one-half 
inch  long,  white  with  reddish 
veins.  Capsule  ovoid.  Perennial. 
Root-stock  creeping,  slender,  scaly 
toothed.  Leaves  all  radical  on  long 
petioles ;  leaflets  broadly  obcor- 
date.  Scapes  2  to  5  inches  long, 
1-flowered,  appearing  in  June, 
the   Alleghanies   northward  ;   also  in 


Fig.  116.— Oxalis  Acetosella. 


Habitat. — In   cold   woods  i 
Northern  Europe  and  Asia. 

Oxalis  striata  Linne. — Yellow  Wood-Sorrel,  Sheep-Sorrel. 

DescrijDtion. — Flowers  similar  in  structure  to  the  preceding,  but  smaller 
and  borne  upon  2-  to  6-flowered,  axillary  peduncles,  yeUow.  Capsules  elon- 
gated. Annual,  or  by  means  of  subterranean  shoots,  perennial.  Stem  erect, 
leafy.     Flowers  appear  throughout  the  summer. 

Habitat. — Common  in  waste  and  cultivated  grounds. 

Part  Used. — The  leaves — not  official. 

Constituents. — All  plants  of  this  genus  have,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent, 
an  agreeable  acidulous  taste  due  to  the  presence  of  binoxalate  of  potash, 
their  only  important  constituent.  This  salt  was  formerly  extracted  from 
certain  species  of  oxalis  and  was  sold  under  the  name  of  salt  of  sorrel,  but 
it  is  now  prepared  from  oxalic  acid  and  potash. 

Preparations. — There  are  none,  save  the  commercial  binoxalate  of  pot- 
ash, and,  as  above  stated,  this  is  no  longer  prepared  from  the  plant. 


XANTHOXYLUM PRICKLY    ASH.  115 

Medical  Properties  and  U^es. — Oxalis  is  reputed  to  be  useful  iu  scurvy 
and  scorbutic  affections  generally.  As,  however,  binoxalate  of  potash  has 
been  shown  to  act  more  efficiently  and  more  certainly  than  the  plant,  the 
latter  may  be  considered  obsolete.  An  infusion  is  refrigerant,  and  may  be 
employed  as  a  cooling  drink  in  febrile  affections. 

RUTACE^. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  shrubs,  or  trees,  with  alternate  or  op- 
posite, exstipulate,  simple  or  compound  leaves,  dotted  with  pellucid 
glands,  containing  aromatic  volatile  oil.  Flowers  perfect  or  unisexual, 
regular,  hypogynous,  3-  to  5-merous.  Stamens  as  many  or  twice  as  many 
as  the  sepals  ;  ovary  of  2  to  5  cells,  distinct  or  united,  each  cell  1-  to  2- 
ovuled  ;  styles  usually  coherent  ;  fruit  a  cai^sule  or  berry. 

A  large  and  widely  distributed  order,  represented  in  North  America 
by  eight  genera,  two  of  which,  namely,  Xanthoxylum  and  Ptelea,  comprise 
species  of  medicinal  value. 

XANTHOXYLUM.— Prickly  Ash. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Flowers  dioecious.  Sepals  4  or  5,  iu  one 
species  wanting.  Petals  4  or  5,  imbricate  in  the  bud.  Stamens  4  or  5,  in 
the  sterile  flowers  alternate  with  the  petals.  Pistils  2  to  5,  distinct,  but 
with  styles  conniving  or  more  or  less  united.  Carpels  sessile  or  stipitate, 
2-valved,  1-  to  2-seeded. 

Trees  or  shrubs,  with  alternate  unequally  pinnate  leaves,  the  leaflets 
punctate  with  pellucid  dots  ;  stems  and  leaf-stalks  commonly  armed  with 
prickles.     Flowers  small,  greenish. 

Xanthoxylum  Americanum  Miller  (A^  fraxineum  Willdenow). — 
Northern  Prickly  Ash,  Toothache  Tree. 

Description. — Calyx  absent.  Corolla  :  petals  5.  Pistils  3  to  5,  dis- 
tinct ;  styles  slender.  Capsules  stipitate,  dotted,  varying  from  green  to 
red,  2-valved,  1-seeded. 

A  shrub,  5  to  10  feet  high.  Leaflets  in  about  5  pairs,  with  an  odd  ter- 
minal one,  nearly  sessile,  ovate,  acute,  slightly  serrate,  somewhat  downy 
underneath.  Both  leaves  and  flowers  iu  axillary  clusters,  the  latter  ap- 
pearing in  April  or  May,  before  the  former  are  expanded. 

Habitat. — In  rocky  woods  and  on  river  banks  from  Virginia  northward 
and  westward  ;  not  common  east  of  the  Hudson  River. 

Xanthoxylum  clava  Herculis  Linne  (A'.  Carolinianum  Lam). — 
Southern  Prickly  Ash,  Toothache  Tree. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  5.  Corolla  :  petals  5.  Pistils  3 ;  styles 
short.     Capsules  3,  nearly  sessile. 

A  small  tree,  with  branches  armed  with  long  sharp  prickles.     Leaflets 


116  EUTACE^. 

in  3  to  5  pairs  and  an  odd  terminal  one,  ovate-lanceolate,  crenate-serru- 
late,  oblique,  shining  above.  Flowers  in  a  terminal  cyme,  appearing  in 
June  after  the  leaves  are  expanded. 

Habitat. — In  dry  soil  near  the  coast,  from  Florida  to  North  Carolina 
and  westward. 

Part  Used. — The  bark  of  both  species — United  States  Pharmacopceia. 
The  fruit  is  also  used  to  some  extent,  but  is  not  official. 

Constituents. — Prickly  ash  has  a  taste  which  is  at  first  aromatic,  then 
bitter,  and  finally  jDersistently  acrid.  It  contains  volatile  and  fixed  oils, 
resin,  gum,  coloring  matter,  and  berberine,  the  latter  being  probably  its 
most  important  constituent. 

Preparations. — Extractum  xanthoxyli  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  xanthox- 
ylum. —  United  States  Pharmacopceia.  It  yields  its  virtues  readily  to  boil- 
ing water  and  to  alcohol,  and  may  therefore  be  administered  in  decoction 
or  tincture.     The  fruit  is  used  in  like  manner. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Prickly  ash  is  stimulant  and  diapho- 
retic, and  has  long  enjoyed  a  certain  degree  of  popularity  as  a  remedy  for 
chronic  rheumatism.  It  powerfully  stimulates  secretion  from  mucous  sur- 
faces, causes  a  sensation  of  warmth  in  the  stomach,  and  undoubtedly  exerts 
an  eliminant  influence.  Hence  it  has  been  used  with  benefit  in  constitu- 
tional syphilis.  As  a  tonic  it  is  manifestly  inferior  to  its  alkaloid,  ber- 
berine, but  as  an  alterative  and  ehminant  much  superior.  It  is  employed 
topically  in  domestic  practice  as  a  remedy  for  toothache  and  as  a  counter^ 
irritant,  and  has  been  recommended  as  a  local  application  in  chronic 
phai-yngitis  characterized  by  dryness  of  the  mucous  membrane. 

PTELEA.— Shrubby  Trefoil. 

Ptelea  trifoliata  Linne. — Shrubby  Trefoil,  Hop  Tree. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  3  to  5,  small.  Corolla  :  petals  3  to  5,  im- 
bricated in  the  bud,  much  longer  than  the  sepals.  Stamens  3  to  5,  alter- 
nate with  the  petals  ;  filaments  densely  villous  below  the  middle,  longer 
than  the  style  in  the  sterile  flowers,  shorter  in  the  fertile  ones.  Ovary 
2 -celled,  each  cell  2-ovuled  ;  styles  short  or  absent ;  stigma  2-lobed.  Fruit 
an  orbicular  samara,  2-celled,  2-seeded,  nearly  one  inch  in  diameter. 

An  unarmed  shrub,  8  to  12  feet  high.  Leaves  trifoliate,  on  petioles 
about  2  inches  long  ;  leaflets  2  to  4  inches  long,  oval  or  oblong,  mostly 
acute,  obscurely  crenate-serrate,  the  lateral  ones  somewhat  oblique,  pubes- 
cent when  young.  Flowers  polygamous,  small,  greenish-white,  in  com- 
pound terminal  cymes,  aj)pearing  in  May  and  June,  and  having  a  disagree- 
able odor. 

Habitat. — In  rocky  places  from  Pennsylvania  to  Florida  and  west- 
ward. 

Parts  Used. — The  fruit,  leaves,  and  bark  of  the  root — not  official. 


EHUS SUMAC.  117 

Constituents. — The  leaves  contain  tannic  and  gallic  acids,  tlie  fruit  a 
soft  acrid  resin,  and  the  bark  a  peculiar  resin  and  the  alkaloid  berberine. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  The  fluid  extract  and  tincture  occur 
as  commercial  articles  and  afford  eligible  modes  of  administration.  It 
may  also  be  employed  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Ptelea  owes  what  little  importance  it 
possesses  to  its  bitter  tonic  properties,  and  these  are  doubtless  owing  in  a 
great  measure  to  the  berberine  jjresent.  Moreover,  as  this  alkaloid  exists 
in  the  bark  of  the  root  in  but  small  percentage,  the  drug  cannot  be  con- 
sidered very  active.  The  other  constituents  of  the  plant,  though  somewhat 
aromatic,  are  probably  of  little  medicinal  value. 

Like  nearly  all  bitters,  ptelea  has  been  employed  with  success  in  inter- 
mittents,  but  no  one  at  the  present  day  would  think  of  relying  upon  it  in 
such  cases.  In  convalescence  and  in  atonic  dyspepsia  it  may  do  the  same 
service  as  many  other  feeble  tonics,  by  increasing  the  appetite  and  stimu- 
lating the  digestive  functions. 

ANACARDIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Trees  or  shi-ubs,  with  a  resinous  or  milky,  often 
caustic  and  poisonous  juice,  alternate,  dotless,  exstipulate  leaves,  and  small, 
inconspicuous,  regular,  pentandrous  flowers,  with  a  1-celled  ovary,  bearing 
a  single  suspended  ovule,  and  having  3  styles  or  stigmas. 

An  order  of  strongly  marked  characteristics,  comprising  about  one 
hundred  species,  mostly  indigenous  to  the  tropics.  Eepresented  in  North 
America  by  three  genera,  namely,  Pistacia,  Schinus,  and  Khus,  the  last- 
named  alone  comprising  medicinal  species. 

RHUS.— Sumac. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Sepals  5,  small,  united  at  the  base,  persistent. 
Petals  5,  ovate,  spreading,  inserted  under  the  margin  of  a  flattened  orbicu- 
lar disk  at  the  bottom  of  the  calyx.  Stamens  5,  inserted  in  or  under  the 
disk.     Styles  3,  distinct  or  united  ;  stigmas  3.     Fruit  a  small  dry  drupe. 

Shrubs  or  small  trees,  with  alternate,  unequally  pinnate  leaves,  and  small 
yellowish  or  greenish-white  polygamous  or  polj^gamo-dioecious  flowers. 

The  genus  may  be  divided  into  two  sections,  well-marked  both  as  to 
their  structure  and  their  properties. 

§  1.  Non-poisonous  Species. — Flowers  polygamous,  in  a  terminal  thyr- 
soid  panicle.  Fruit  clothed  with  a  dense  coating  of  crimson  hairs  ;  stone 
smooth.     Leaves  unequally  pinnate. 

Rhus  glabra  Linne. — Smooth  Sumac. 

Description. — A  smooth  shrub,  2  to  12  feet  high,  the  stem  having  a 
large  pith  and  a  thin,  white,  woody  layer.     Leaflets  in  5  to  15  pairs,  with 


lis  ANACAEDIACE.E. 

an  odd  terminal  one,  lanceolate-obloug,  pointed,  serrate,  smooth  and  glau- 
cous above,  whitish  beneath.  The  flowers  appear  in  June ;  the  fruit  ripens 
in  September. 

Habitat. — In  dry,  rocky,  and  rather  barren  places  throughout  the  United 
States  and  Canada. 

Rhus  typhina  Linne. — Staghorn  Sumac. 

Description. — A  large  shrub  or  small  tree,  10  to  30  feet  high,  the  young 
branches  as  well  as  the  leaf-  and  flower-stalks  densely  coated  with  soft  vel- 
vety hairs.  Leaflets  in  5  to  15  pairs,  with  an  odd  terminal  one,  oblong- 
lanceolate,  pointed,  serrate.  The  flowers  appear  in  June  ;  the  fruit  ripens 
in  SeiDtembei'.  Much  more  I'obust  than  the  preceding  sj)ecies.  The  pith, 
though  large  in  the  young  branches,  is  surrounded  in  later  years  by  a  thick 
layer  of  rather  dense  yellow  wood. 

Habitat.- — ^In  rich  uplands,  United  States  and  Canada. 

Rhus  copallina  Linne. — Dwarf  Sumac. 

Description. — A  small  shrub,  1  to  7  feet  high,  with  straggling  branches 
and  running  roots.  Branches  and  stalks  downy.  Petioles  wing-mar- 
gined ;  leaflets  in  4  to  10  paii'S,  with  an  odd  terminal  one,  oblong  or  ovate- 
lanceolate,  oblique,  smooth  and  shining  above,  pubescent  beneath. 

Habitat. — In  barren  and  rocky  situations.  United  States  and  Canada. 

Parts  Used. — Of  Khus  glabra,  the  fruit — United  States  Pharmacop)oeia. 
The  fruit  of  both  R.  typhina  and  R.  copallina  is  possessed  of  properties 
identical  with  those  of  the  official  plant,  and  may  be  substituted  as  occa- 
sion requires.  The  leaves  and  bark  of  all  the  species  have  been  employed 
but  are  not  official. 

Constituents. — Sumac  berries,  as  they  are  called,  have  a  pleasant  acid, 
astringent  taste,  due  to  the  jDresence  of  malic  acid  in  the  dense  ciimson 
pubescence  which  covers  them.  This  acid  is  present  both  in  a  free  state 
and  in  combination  as  malate  of  calcium,  and  is  associated  with  tannic  and 
gallic  acids,  coloring  matter,  etc. 

Sumac  leaves  are  comparatively  rich  in  tannic  and  gallic  acids,  so  much 
so,  indeed,  as  to  be  of  economic  importance  in  the  tanning  of  leather. 
Excrescences,  or  galls,  are  produced  upon  them  which  are  said  to  be  hardly 
inferior  to  the  galls  of  commerce.  The  bark  is  also  possessed  of  astringent 
l^roperties,  but  to  a  more  limited  extent  than  the  leaves. 

Prep)arations. — Extractum  rhois  glabrae  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  rhus 
glabra. —  United  States  Pharmacopceia.  Of  the  other  species  there  are  no 
official  preparations.  The  berries  of  all  the  species  are  frequently  em- 
ployed in  infusion,  and  when  they  can  be  obtained  in  good  condition  this 
form  is  undoubtedly  the  most  eligible  one  to  use,  either  topically  or  inter- 
nally^.    The  leaves  may  be  employed  in  infusion  or  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Sumac  berries  are  astringent  and  refrig- 
erant. An  infusion  has  long  been  used  in  domestic  practice,  internally 
for  refrigerant  effect  in  febrile  and  inflammatory  afl:ections,  and  topically 


EHUS SUMAC. 


119 


as  a  gargle  for  sore  throat.  Nor  has  its  use  been  confined  entirely  to  do- 
mestic practice,  for  many  excellent  practitioners,  especially  those  resident 
in  the  country  where  the  fruit  is  readily  accessible,  employ  it  habitually 
as  a  cooling-  drink  and,  either  alone  or  as  a  basis,  for  gargles. 

The  leaves  aud  bark  owe  whatever  of  medicinal  activity  they  possess  to 
the  presence  of  tannic  and  gallic  acids,  and  may  be  employed  as  simple 
vegetable  astringents  wherever  such  remedies  are  indicated. 


Fig.  117. — Rhus  Toxicodendron.     A  flowering  branch,  one  half  natural  size. 

§  2.  Poisonous  Species. — Flowers  polygamous,  in  loose  and  slender  ax- 
illary panicles.  Fruit  globular,  glabrous,  whitish  or  dun-colored  ;  stone 
striate.     Leaves  unequally  pinnate  or  trifoliate. 

Rhus  Toxicodendron  Linnc. — Poison  Ivy,  Poison  Oak. 

Description. — A  low  shiiib  or  tall  climber,  according  to  the  circum- 
stances in  which  it  is  placed.  Leaflets  3,  rhombic-ovate,  entu-e,  or  vari- 
ously cut  and  lobed,  smooth  and  shining  above,  downy  beneath.  Panicles 
small,  flowers  minute,  fruit  about  the  size  of  small  peas,  greenish. 


120  ANACARDIACE^.. 

This  common  and,  by  many  people,  miich-dreaded  plant  occurs  in  two 
rather  distinct  forms,  which  were  formerly  considered  separate  species, 
but  are  now  recognized  as  specifically  identical,  their  diiferences  being  due 
entirely  to  the  circumstances  of  their  growth.  A  plant  growing  in  an  ojjen 
space  with  no  convenient  support  near  has  the  habit  of  a  low  shrub  ;  while 
one  rooted  at  the  base  of  a  tree  or  beside  a  rock  puts  forth  innumerable 
adventitious  rootlets,  and  by  means  of  these  climbs  upward  vigorously, 
never  stoj^ping,  under  favorable  circumstances,  until  it  has  reached  the 
highest  point  attainable.  Another  curious  feature  in  the  growth  of  the 
jolant  as  a  climber  is  that  the  increase  in  the  thickness  of  the  stem  takes 
place  almost  entirely  upon  the  side  next  the  suj^port,  whether  this  be  a 
rock,  tree,  or  any  other  object,  so  that  the  pith  is  eccentric.  As  the  root- 
lets bring  no  nourishment  to  the  stem,  and  as  they  are  jout  forth  in  quantity 
only  when  there  is  something  near  to  fix  themselves  to,  it  aj)pears  probable, 
as  the  author  endeavored  to  show  some  years  ago,  that  they  are  produced 
by  the  mere  stimulation  of  contact  ;  and  also  that  the  increased  growth 
on  the  side  of  the  stem  next  the  support  is  induced  in  the  same  manner. 
The  climbing  plant  was  formerly  denominated  B.  radicans,  a  name,  of 
course,  now  discarded. 

Habitat. — Common  everywhere  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and 
■westward. 

Rhus  venenata  De  Candolle. — Poison  Sumac,  Poison  Elder. 

Description. — A  vigorous  shi'ub,  6  to  18  feet  high,  with  smooth,  pale 
gray  bark.  Leaflets  in  3  to  6  pairs,  with  an  odd  terminal  one,  obovate- 
oblong,  entire.  Panicles  larger  than  in  the  preceding  species  ;  fruit  also 
larger,  greenish-yellow  or  greenish-white. 

Habitat. — Common  in  swamjjs  and  wet  places  from  Canada  to  Florida 
and  westward. 

Part  Used. — The  fresh  leaves  of  Khus  Toxicodendron — Vnited  States 
Fharmacojjceia.     The  leaves  of  B.  venenata  possess  similar  proi^erties. 

Constituents.— These  species  of  rhus,  together  with  B.  diversiloba  Tor- 
rey  and  Gray  of  the  Pacific  Coast  and  B.  jyumila  Michaux  of  the  Southern 
States,  comprise  the  poisonous  members  of  the  genus  indigenous  to  North 
America.  Their  jDoisonous  properties,  though  differing  in  degree,  are  es- 
sentially identical  in  quality.  B.  pumila  is  said  to  be  the  most  poisonous 
of  the  group,  while  B.  venenata  occupies  a  second  place,  being  itself  con- 
siderably more  violent  in  action  than  B.  toxicodendron  or  B.  diversiloba ; 
the  two  last-named  resembling  each  other  very  much  both  in  habit  of 
growth  and  in  their  effects.  The  poisonous  constituent  of  these  plants, 
though  considerably  investigated,  has  not  been  as  yet  thorouglily  charac- 
terized. That  it  is  volatile  is  well  known,  and  that  it  is  an  acid  jDrinciple 
has  also  been  demonstrated  ;  but  beyond  this  nothing  is  definitely  known. 
Though  volatile  and  capable  of  producing  its  peculiar  effects  upon  very 
suscej^tible  individuals,  even  at  some  distance  from  the  growing  plants,  it 


RHUS — SUMAC.  121 

ma}'  be  iDreserved  in  proper  solvents  for  a  great  length  of  time.  The 
author  himself  has  experienced  poisonous  effects  fi'om  a  tincture  of  li. 
venenata  prejDared  thirt}'  years  before,  which  was  apj)lied  by  way  of  experi- 
ment. Peculiar  as  the  principle  is,  it  tinds  its  parallel  in  the  well-known 
fact  that  only  certain  persons  are  susceptible  to  its  influence.  This  sus- 
ceptibility may  exist  in  all  the  members  of  a  family,  or  in  one  or  two  only, 
the  others  enjoying  complete  immunit}-.  And  again,  there  are  great  differ- 
ences in  the  degree  of  the  susceptibility  of  different  individuals.  One  may 
be  violently  poisoned  by  the  emanations  from  a  growing  j^lant,  while  an- 
other may  require  actual  contact  to  produce  even  slight  manifestations. 
The  poisonous  principle  is  present  in  all  parts  of  these  plants,  but  is  most 
concentrated  in  the  milky  juice.  The  other  constituents  are  vmimportant 
and  inert,  being  only  the  ordinary  vegetable  jDrinciples. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  The  fresh  leaves  of  E.  Toxicodendron 
were  admitted  into  the  Pharm'acoi^oeia  with  the  idea  that  the  prescriber 
would  order  a  tinctute  made  from  them  according  to  the  formula  provided 
for  tinctures  of  fresh  herbs.  The  other  species  are  susceptible  to  similar 
treatment.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  an  alcoholic  tincture  kept  tightly 
corked  is  the  best  means  for  preserving  the  drug  in  activity. 

Medical  Froixrties  and  Uses. — Here  we  are  altogether  in  the  dark. 
Cases  are  reported  of  persons  suffering  from  various  cutaneous  eruptions 
having  been  permanently  cured  by  accidental  rhus-j)oisoning.  Cases  are 
now  and  then  reported  also  of  paralytics  having  been  restored  by  strokes 
of  lightning,  yet  paralytics,  as  a  rule,  would  prefer  not  to  undergo  such 
heroic  treatment.  Granting  that  it  may  be  possible  to  cure  certain  skin 
diseases  by  this  substitutive  action,  the  first  thing  to  decide  in  a  given  case 
would  be  the  susceptibility  of  the  patient  to  the  remedy,  and  the  second, 
how  to  limit  its  action  within  reasonable  bounds.  In  endeavoring  to  settle 
the  first  by  experiment,  great  risk  would  be  run  of  going  beyond  the  sec- 
ond altogether  ;  for  as  no  man  has  yet  discovered  anything  like  an  infallible 
remedy  for  rhus-poisoning,  though  palliatives  are  numerous,  no  one  is 
likely  to  be  able  to  prescribe  limits  for  it  when  used  as  a  remedy.  Certain 
it  is  that  rhus  will  never  be  very  popular  as  an  external  application  with 
patients  who,  like  the  writer,  have  experienced  its  poisonous  effects.  Re- 
garding its  use  as  an  internal  remedy,  still  less  need  be  said.  Nearly  all 
the  testimony  to  its  value  when  used  in  this  manner  comes  from  sources 
discredited  in  scientific  medicine.  It  is  claimed,  of  course,  that  it  exerts 
specific  effects  in  certain  cases,  even  when  administered  in  infinitesimal 
doses  ;  but  when  we  consider  that  personal  susceptibility  is  the  first  requi- 
site for  any  effect  whatever,  we  may  well  doubt  the  specific  effect  of  even 
minute  doses  upon  humanity,  or  disease,  at  large.  Finally,  admitting  the 
potency  of  rhus  as  a  cause  of  disease,  we  have  yet  to  learn  its  power  and 
mode  of  use  as  a  remedy. 


122  EIIAMNACEJE. 


RHAMNACE/E. 


Character  of  the  Order. — Shrubs  or  small  trees,  with  simple,  alteriote 
leaves,  often  thorny  branches,  and  small  polygamous  or  dioecious  Hot  •  lo 
Oalyx  with  4  or  5  short  deciduous  teeth  or  sepals,  valvate  in  the  bud.  Pot  :  .is 
4  or  5,  very  small,  folded  inward  in  the  bud  ;  sometimes  wanting.  Stain  .  - 
as  many  as  the  sepals  and  alternating  with  them,  inserted  with  the  peiiis 
on  a  disk  which  lines  the  tube  of  the  calyx.  Ovary  2-  to  5-celled,  each  t?ll 
1-ovuled  ;  style  very  short ;  stigmas  2  to  5.  Fruit  a  small  berry  or  dj  upe 
enclosing  2  to  5  one-seeded  nuts. 

A  widely  distributed  order  of  more  than  forty  genera,  about  a  dozen 
of  which  are  represented  in  North  America — two,  Rhamnus  and  Ceanotbus, 
comprising  medicinal  species. 

RHAMNUS. —Buckthorn. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  4-  or  5-cleft,  cup-shaped,  lined  wil'i  a 
thin  disk.  Corolla  :  petals  as  many  as  the  teeth  of  the  calyx,  small,  sLort- 
clawed,  notched  at  the  end,  folded  about  the  stamens  ;  sometimes  wanting. 
Ovary  free,  2-  to  4-celled.     Drupe  or  berry  containing  2  to  4  nutlets. 

Shrubs  or  small  trees.  Leaves  smooth,  feather-veined.  Flowers  small, 
greenish,  in  axillary  clusters.     Fruit  black. 

Rhamnus  cathartica  Linne. —  Common  Buckthorn. 

Description. — Calyx  4-cleft.  Corolla  :  |)etals  very  narrow,  not  lor. per 
than  the  teeth  of  the  calyx.     Fruit  about  the  size  of  a  j)ea. 

A  smooth  shrub,  6  to  15  feet  high,  with  spreading  branches,  the  smaVi  o 
ones  often  ending  in  a  stout  thorn.  Leaves  1^  to  2  inches  long,  two-tLinl.-. 
as  wide,  ovate,  acuminate,  serrate,  with  a  few  prominent,  obliquely  diverg- 
ing veins.  Flowers  dioecious,  thickly  clustered  in  the  axils  of  the  leavetj, 
appeai'ing  in  May  and  June. 

Habitat. — A  native  of  Eui'ope  and  Asia,  but  sparingly  naturalized  in  1  lie 
Northern  Atlantic  States. 

Rhamnus  Purshiana  De  CandoUe. — California  Buckthorn,  Sv  r'l 
Bark. 

Description. — Calyx  5-cleft.  Corolla:  petals  5,  two-lobed.  Sr-,!  s 
rather  short,  united  to  the  summit ;  stigmas  3.  Fruit  turbinate,  3-seedert, 
the  size  of  a  large  2')ea. 

A  shrub  or  small  tree,  10  to  20  feet  high,  mth  a  trunk  sometimes  8  < .r 
9  inches  in  diameter.  Leaves  3  to  5  inches  long,  1^  to  2  inches  in  d\;vii\- 
eter,  sometimes  slightly  cordate  at  the  base,  rarely  acute  or  with  a  sii;.'  ' 
acumination  ;  the  lower  surface  strongly  pubescent,  the  lateral  veins  pi-.~j?a 
inent.     Flowers  umbellate,  in  clusters  of  10  to  20. 

Habitat. — On  the  Pacific  Coast  from  California  northward. 


CEANOTHUS — -NE^    JERSEY    TEA.  123 

Parts  Used.  — Of  Rhamnus  cathartica,  the  fruit — not  official ;  of  R. 
Purshiana,  the  bark — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  berries  of  common  buckthorn  are  pulpy  and  contain 
a  deep  green  juice,  having  a  faint  unpleasant  odor,  a  bitterish,  acrid,  nau- 
seous taste,  and  possessing  active  purgative  properties.  Various  analyses 
have  demonstrated  the  presence  of  a  peculiar  principle  termed  rhamnoca- 
thartin,  to  which  the  berries  owe  their  activity.  The  bark  of  the  plant  is 
also  actively  purgative. 

An  analysis  of  the  bark  of  R.  Purshiana  made  by  Professor  A.  B.  Prescott 
yielded  a  bitter  brown  resin,  a  red  resin,  a  light  yellow  resin,  tannic,  malic, 
and  oxalic  acids,  a  neutral  crystallizable  substance,  and  a  volatile  oil,  but. 
experiments  have  ]iot  been  made  to  ascertain  which  of  these  possesses  the 
therapeutic  properties  of  the  bark. 

Preparations. — A  syrup  of  buckthorn  made  from  the  juice  of  the  ber- 
ries is  official  in  Britain,  France,  and  Germany.  Of  R.  Purshiana  there  are 
commercial  fluid  extracts  and  elixirs  in  profusion,  but  no  official  prepara- 
tions. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — AU  the  species  of  rhamnus  thus  far  sub- 
jected to  experiment  possess  purgative  pi-operties  of  greater  or  less  activity. 
In  general  their  action  is  harsh  and  violent.  Nausea  and  vomiting,  as  well 
as  severe  griping  pains,  not  unfrequently  attend  their  purgative  action. 
Por  this  reason  B.  cathartica  and  E.  Frangida  [Frangida  hark)  have  never 
found  much  favor  in  this  country,  and  even  in  Europe  they  are  commonly 
administered  with  aromatics  and  correctives  in  order  to  diminish  the  vio- 
lence of  their  action.  Some  years  since  R.  Purshiana  was  introduced  to 
professional  notice  in  this  country  under  the  absurd  and  fanciful  title  of 
cascara  sagrada,  and  most  energetic  efforts  were  made  to  gain  for  it  an  en- 
tirely unmerited  reputation  as  a  remedy  for  constipation,  etc.  Even  when 
administered  in  pleasant-tasting  elixirs — of,  to  the  prescriber,  unknown 
composition — its  action  is  not  unfi'equently  attended  with  nausea  and  grip- 
ing. There  is  little  reason  for  considering  it  as  essentially  different  from 
or  more  valuable  than  frangula  bark  or  common  buckthorn,  and  hence  its 
jDopularity,  being  forced  and  fictitious,  will  be  short-lived. 

CEANOTHUS.— New  Jersey  Tea. 

Ceanothus  Americanus  Linne. — New  Jersey  Tea,  Red  Root. 

Description. — Calyx  bell-shaped,  5-cleft,  the  lobes  white,  incurved  ;  the 
lower  part  with  a  disk  cohering  with  the  ovary,  the  upper  finally  sep- 
arating transversely.  Corolla  :  petals  5,  hooded,  on  slender  claws  longer 
than  the  calyx,  white.  Stamens  exserted  ;  anthex'S  ovate,  2-celled.  Ovary 
3-celled  ;  styles  3,  united  to  the  middle,  diverging  above.  Fruit  bluntly 
triangular,  dry,  coriaceous,  separating  into  three  carj)els  when  mature. 

A  freely  branching  shrub,  2  to  4  feet  high,  the  younger  branches  pubes- 


124  CELASTEACE^. 

cent.  Boot  dark  red.  Leaves  2  to  3  inclies  long,  ovate  or  oblong-ovate, 
obtuse  or  slightly  acuminate,  3-ribbed,  serrate,  pubescent  beneath  ;  some- 
times slightly  cordate  at  the  base.  Flowers  in  axillary  clusters,  appearing 
in  Juh'. 

Habitat. — Common  in  dry  woodlands  from  Canada  to  Florida  and  west- 
ward. 

JPai'ts  Used. — The  leaves  and  root — not  official. 

Constituents. — Both  the  leaves  and  root  are  astringent  and  contain  a 
considerable  jiercentage  of  tannin. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  There  are  commercial  fluid  extracts 
fairly  rej^resenting  the  j)lant  ;  the  decoction  is  most  commonly  used. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  leaves  were  used  during  the  Revolu- 
tion and  also  to  some  extent  during  the  late  Civil  War  as  a  substitute  for 
tea,  and  both  leaves  and  root  have  been  employed  internally  and  toi^ically 
as  astringents. 

CELASTRACEyE. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Shrubs  or  small  trees,  with  alternate,  rarely 
opposite,  simjDle  leaves.  Flowers  in  small  axillary  cymes,  small,  green, 
white,  or  purple  ;  sepals  and  petals  4  or  5,  imbricate  in  the  bud  ;  stamens 
4  or  5,  alternate  with  the  petals,  inserted  on  a  large  disk  which  surrounds 
and  encloses  the  ovary.  Fruit  2-  to-5  celled,  capsular  or  drupaceous  ;  seeds 
arilled. 

An  order  comprising  thirty-five  genera.  Represented  in  North  Amer- 
ica by  seven — two  only,  Celastrus  and  Euonymus,  comprising  medicinal 
species. 

CELASTRUS.  —Staff  Tree. 

Celastrus  scandens  Linne. — Woody  Bittersweet. 

Description. — Calyx  turbinate,  5-cleft.  Corolla  :  petals  5,  ovate  or  ob- 
long, sessile.  Stamens  inserted  into  the  margin  of  the  fleshy  disk.  Ovary 
surrounded  by  the  disk,  3-celled  ;  styles  3,  united.  Fruit  a  globular  cap- 
sule, orange-colored,  3-celled,  3-valved,  the  valves  at  maturity  opening  and 
folding  backward,  exposing  the  seeds  enclosed  in  a  fleshy,  crimson  aril. 

A  twining  shrub,  often  climbing  trees  to  the  height  of  twenty  or  thirty 
feet.  Leaves  ovate-oblong,  finely  serrate,  pointed.  Flowers  polygamo- 
dioecious,  inconspicuous,  appearing  in  June.  Fruit  very  ornamental,  and 
often  gathered  for  household  decoration. 

Habitat. — Borders  of  woods  and  streams  and  along  old  fences,  from 
Canada  to  Carolina  and  westward. 

Part  Used. — The  bark — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  bark  has  a  sweetish,  nauseous  taste.  Its  chemical 
constituents  are  unknown. 


EUONYMUS — SPINDLE    TREE.  125 

Preparations. — None  are  official.     Commonly  used  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Climbing  bittersweet  is  said  to  be  dia- 
phoretic, diuretic,  alterative,  and  somewhat  narcotic,  but  its  reputation  is; 
chiefly  in  domestic  practice,  where  the  effects  of  large  draughts  of  warm 
water  are  often  attributed  to  some  really  inert  substance  which  has  been 
boiled  with  it.  At  any  rate,  if  this  plant  really  possesses  valuable  medic- 
inal properties  the  fact  is  yet  to  be  demonstrated. 

Climbing  or  woody  bittersweet  should  be  carefully  distinguished  from 
the  solanaceous  plant  [Solanum  Uulcamara),  also  known  as  bittersweet,  or 
herbaceous  bittersweet. 

EUONYMUS.— Spindle  Tree. 

Euonymus  atropurpureus  Jacquin.  —  Wahoo,  Burning  Bush. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  commonly  4,  united  at  the  base.  Corolla  : 
petals  as  many  as  the  sepals,  roundish-obovate.  Stamens  as  many  as  the 
seixals,  inserted  in  the  broad,  flat,  fleshy  disk  ;  filaments  short.  Ovary 
half  enclosed  by  the  disk  ;  styles  united.  Fruit  a  4-lobed,  4-celled  cap- 
sule, each  cell  1-  to  2-seeded,  the  seeds  nearly  enclosed  in  the  bright-red, 
succulent  aril. 

A  shrub,  6  to  12  feet  high,  with  somewhat  quadrangular,  straight 
branches.  Leaves  petiolate,  ovate-oblong,  pointed,  finely  serrate.  Flowers 
dark  purple,  on  peduncles  1  to  2  inches  long,  5-  to  7-flowered,  aj^pearing 
in  June.     The  fruit  matures  in  October. 

Habitat. — In  shady  woods  from  Canada  to  Florida  and  westward. 

-Part  Used. — The  bark — United  States  PJiarmacopma. 

Constituents. — To  analysis  euonymus  has  yielded,  besides  I'esins,  starch, 
glucose,  etc.,  a  peculiar  bitter  neutral  principle  tevmed  euonymin,  whose 
therapeutic  properties  have  not  been  investigated.  The  so-called  euony- 
min  of  the  eclectic  practitioners  is  an  impure  resinous  body,  prepared  by 
precipitating  the  alcoholic  tincture  by  the  addition  of  water. 

Preparations. — Extractum  euonymii — extract  of  euonymus. —  United 
States  Pharmacopoiia.  This  is  an  efficient  preparation.  The  bark  imparts 
its  virtues  to  both  alcohol  and  water,  and  may  be  employed  in  tincture  or 
decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uxes. — Eiionymus  is  a  mild  and  somewhat  un- 
certain purgative,  having  probably  some  cholagogue  action.  Though 
chiefly  employed  in  empirical  practice,  it  is  well  thought  of  by  many  regu- 
lar practitioners  There  is  little  evidence,  however,  of  its  possessing  prop- 
erties of  sufficient  value  to  place  it  in  rank  Avitli  many  other  cathartics  and 
purgatives  of  established  reputation,  and  the  efforts  now  being  made  to. 
push  it  into  popular  favor  are  to  be  viewed  as  purely  business  enterprises, 
having  little  reference  to  the  actual  value  of  the  drag. 


126 


SAPINDACE^. 


SAPINDACEvC. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Trees  or  shrubs,  with  alternate  or  opposite, 
simple  or  compound  leaves.  Flowers  commonly  irregular  and  unsymmet- 
rical ;  sepals  4  or  5  ;  petals  4  or  5,  sometimes  wanting  ;  stamens  5  to  10, 
perigynous  or  hypogynous,  inserted  uj)on  a  fleshy  disk  ;  ovary  2-  or  3-celled, 
each  cell  1-  or  2-ovuled. 

A  large  order,  chiefly  tropical.  Represented  in  North  America  by  about 
a  dozen  genera  only,  one  of  which,  Jilsculus,  comprises  species  of  medicinal 
importance. 

J^^SCULUS.  — HoKSE-CiiESTNUT,  Buckeye. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  campanulate,  5-lobed.  Corolla  :  jDetals 
4  to  5,  expanded,  more  or  less  unequal.  Stamens  6  to  8,  commonly  7  ; 
filaments   long   and  slender,    often  unequal.      Ovary  3-celled,    each   cell 


Fig.  118.— iEscuhis  Hippocastanum. 

2-ovuled  ;  style  single.  Fruit  a  large,  smooth  or  jDrickly  capsule.  Trees 
or  shrubs,  with  opposite,  digitate  leaves.  Flowers  in  a  terminal  thyrse  or 
dense  panicle,  often  polygamous,  most  of  them  sterile. 

^sculus  Hippocastanum  Linne. — Hon^e- Chestnut. 

Description.— CvAjy.  obtusely  5-toothed.  Corolla  :  petals  oblong,  un- 
guiculate,  fringed  and  wavy,  white  with  a  small  red  or  yellow  spot  above 


^SCULUS — HOUSE-CHESTNUT,    BUCKEYE.  127 

the  claw.  Stamens  shorter  than  the  petals,  declined.  Capsule  roundish, 
prickly,  3-valved,  1-  to  3-celled,  containing  1  to  3  large,  oblong,  chestnut- 
brown  seeds. 

A  medium-sized  tree.  Leaflets  7,  obovate-lauceolate,  acuminate,  irreg- 
ularly serrate.  Flowers  beautiful  and  showy,  on  jointed  pedicels,  appear- 
ing in  June. 

Habitat. — Introduced  from  the  East  and  commonly  cultivated  for  orna- 
ment ;  scai'cely  naturalized. 

/Esculus  glabra  AVilldenow. — Ohio  Buckeye. 

Description. — Corolla  :  petals  4,  unequal,  spreading,  with  claws  as  long 
as  the  calyx,  pale  yellow.  Stamens  7,  curved,  much  longer  than  the  petals. 
Fruit  nearly  1  inch  in  diameter,  i^rickly. 

A  small,  ill-scented  tree.  Leaflets  5,  oval  or  oblong,  acuminate,  serrate. 
Flowers  small,  in  loose  thyrsoid  panicles,  appearing  in  May  and  June. 

Habitat. — River  banks  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  Ohio,  and 
Kentucky. 

/Esculus  Pavia  Linnr. — Red  Buckeye. 

Description. — Calyx  tubular.  Corolla  :  petals  4,  very  unequal,  connivent, 
red.     Stamens  G  to  8,  about  as  long  as  the  petals.     Fruit  smooth. 

A  shrub  or  small  tree.  Leaflets  5  to  7,  oblong-lanceolate,  cuneate  at 
the  base,  slightly  acuminate.  Flowers  large,  in  loose  thyrsoid  racemes, 
iil^pearing  in  April  and  May. 

Habitat. — Mountains  of  Virginia  to  Georgia  and  westward.  Most  com- 
monly a  shrub,  3  to  10  feet  high,  but  near  the  mountains  a  small  tree. 

Parts  Used. — The  bark  and  the  seeds — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  most  important  constituent  thus  far  discovered  in 
any  plant  of  this  genus  is  a  principle  termed  cesculin,  which  was  obtained 
irom  the  bark  of  the  horse-chestnut.  The  rind  of  the  seeds  also  contains 
some  resculin.  The  seeds  of  all  the  species  abound  in  starch,  mixed,  how- 
ever, with  a  bitter  and  acrid  substance,  which  can  only  be  removed  by  long 
washing.  In  the  case  of  the  red  buckeye  this  has  been  shown  to  be  a 
glucoside,  possessed  of  poisonous  propei'ties. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  The  virtues  of  the  bark  are  impart- 
ed to  both  alcohol  and  water.  A  commercial  article  erroneousl}'  termed 
cesculin  is  prepared  by  precipitating  the  alcoholic  tincture  with  water.  It 
is  said  to  be  an  efficient  preparation. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses, — Horse-chestnut  bark  is  tonic  and  astrin- 
gent, and  formerly  had  some  reputation  in  Europe  as  an  antiperiodic.  It 
has  been  used  successfully  in  some  cases  of  intermittents  which  had  pre- 
viously resisted  quinine,  but  in  general  it  is  far  less  efficacious  than  the 
latter.  It  is  probable  that  the  bark  of  all  species  of  the  genus  possesses 
similar  properties,  differing  only  in  degree.  The  poisonous  glucoside 
found  in  the  seeds  of  the  red  buckeye  is  also  likely  to  be  jn-esent  in  those 
of  other  species.     It  is  of  a  narcotic  character  and  said  to  be  about  one- 


128 


POLYGALACE^. 


third  of  tlie  strength  of  opium.  In  the  Southern  States  the  seeds  of  this 
species,  crushed  to  a  puJi?,  are  employed  to  stujiefy  lish  and  thus  render 
their  capture  easy,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  seeds  of  Cocculus  Indicus  are 
used  for  like  jjuriDoses. 

POLYGALACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Plants  with  alternate  or  opjDosite,  exstipulate 
leaves.  Flowers  very  irregular ;  sepals  usually  5  ;  petals  3  ;  stamens  4 
to  8,  monadelphous  or  diadelphous  ;  anthers  l-ceUed,  opening  by  a  pore 
at  the  top  ;  ovary  2-celled,  each  cell  1-ovuled.     Finiit  2-celled,  2-seeded. 

An  order  of  few  genera  but  many  species.  Kepresented  in  North 
America  by  three  genera,  only  one  of  which  comprises  medicinal  sj)ecies. 

POLYG  AL  A.  —Milkwort. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  :  sepals  5,  persistent,  tmequal,  the 
three  outer  smaller,  the  two  inner  (lateral)  larger  and  petaloid.     Corolla  : 

jjetals  3,  unequal,  the  middle  (anteri- 
or) one  larger,  and  usually  crested  at 
the  apex  ;  all  of  them  more  or  less 
united.  Stamens  8,  rarely  6,  their 
filaments  united  below  into  a  split 
tube  or  into  two  equal  sets,  and  more 
or  less  cohering  with  the  claws  of  the 
petals  also.  Ovary  2-celled,  each  cell 
1-ovuled ;  style  elongate,  curved. 
Fruit  a  small  2-seeded  j)od  ;  seeds 
carunculate. 


Small  herbs,  in  temperate  cli- 
mates, with  alternate  or  whorled 
leaves.  Many  of  the  North  Ameri- 
can species  are  supposed  to  possess 
medicinal  virtues,  but  only  one — Poly- 
gala  Senega — has  an  established  repu- 
tation. The  genus  as  a  whole  prob- 
ably deserves  further  investigation. 

Polygala  SenegaLinne.^<S'e?ie- 
ca  Snakeroot,  Senega,  Seneha. 

Description. — Calyx  :  the  two  in- 
ner sepals,  or  wings,  roundish-ovate, 
white,  slightly  veined.  Corolla  small,  closed,  lateral  petals  obtuse,  the  ante- 
rior, or  keel,  crested.  Capsule  obcordate,  compressed,  invested  with  the 
persistent  calj'x. 

A  small  herbaceous  perennial.     Root  with  a  hard,  knotty  cro^vn  and 
tortuous  branches.     Stems  several,  6  to  12  inches  high,  smooth,  simple. 


Fig.  119. — Polygala  Senega. 


FOLYGALA MILKWORT.  129 

occasionally  tinged  witli  red.  Leaves  numerous,  alternate,  lanceolate  or 
oblong-lanceolate,  1  to  2  inches  long,  with  rough  margins.  Flowers  in 
dense  spikes,  1  to  1^  inch  long,  appearing  in  May  and  June. 

Habitat. — In  dry,  rocky  woods  from  Western  New  England  to  North 
Carolina  and  westward  ;  most  abundant  in  the  South  and  West. 

Polygala  polygama  Walter  (/-'.  ?-«6e/?a  Willdenow). — Bitter  Folngala. 

De!^cription. — Calyx  :  wings  broadly  obovate,  spreading,  longer  than  the 
petals.    Corolla  :  keel  conspicuously  crested.     Capsule  oblong,  emargiuate. 

A  small  biennial.  Stems  numerous,  mostly  simple,  leafy,  G  to  9  inches 
high.  Leaves  alternate,  oblanceolate  or  oblong,  1  inch  long.  Flowers  in 
terminal  racemes,  deep  rose-color  or  jxirplish.  There  are  also  produced 
radical  racemes  of  inconspicuous  but  fertile  flowers,  which  are  prostrate 
upon  the  ground,  or  subterranean. 

Habitat. — Dry,  sandy  soil  from  Canada  to  Florida  and  Avestward.  Very 
common. 

Parts  Used. — The  root  of  JR.  Senega  is  official  under  the  name  of  senega 
- —  United  States  Pharmacopceia.  Both  the  root  and  herb  of  P.  polygama 
(P.  rubella)  were  formerly  official,  but  have  been  discarded. 

Constituents. — Senega  has  a  peculiar  odor,  and  a  taste  which  is,  at  first, 
sweetish  but  afterward  pungent  and  acrid.  Its  most  imj)ortant  constitu- 
ent is  a  peculiar  acrid  principle  termed  senegin,  or  j^olygalic  acid,  which  is 
beheved  to  be  closely  analogous  to  saponin,  a  principle  existing  in  Sapon- 
■aria  officinalis  and  Quillaia  bark.  From  P.  polygama  (P.  rubella)  has  been 
obtained  a  crystalline  compound  termed  j^objgalamai'in,  which  has  a  very 
bitter  taste,  and  foams  considerably  when  agitated  with  water,  in  this  re- 
spect resembling  saponin. 

Preparations. — Of  senega :  Abstractum  senegas — abstract  of  senega  ;  ex- 
tractum  senegiB  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  senegse  ;  syrupus  senegse — syrup 
of  senega  ;  a  constituent  of  syrupus  scillfe  compositus — compound  syrup  of 
squill  — United  States  Pharmacopeia.  Of  P.  potygama  there  are  no  official 
preparations.  Both  species  yield  their  virtues  to  water  and  to  diluted 
alcohol. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Senega  in  small  or  medium  doses  is  dia- 
phoretic, diuretic,  and  expectorant ;  in  large  doses,  emetic  and  cathartic. 
In  practice  it  is  chiefly  used  as  a  stimvilating  expectorant  in  the  later 
stages  of  bronchial  and  pulmonary  afiections  after  active  inflammatory 
symptoms  have  been  subdued.  Its  emetic  and  purgative  action  has  been 
found  useful  in  rheumatism  and  drojjsy,  but  other  agents  are  more  eligible. 
It  has  also  some  reputation  as  an  emmenagogue. 

Of  P.  polygama  there  is  little  to  be  said.  It  is  believed  to  possess  prop- 
erties similar  to  those  of  1\  amara  of  Europe,  but  as  this  plant  is  no 
longer  official  there  its  properties  cannot  be  considered  of  much  value. 
All  species  of  the  genus  are  more  or  less  bitter,  and  probably  possess,  if 
nothing  else,  mild  tonic  properties. 
9 


130 


LEGDMINOS^. 


LECUMINOS^. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  shrubs,  or  trees,  with  alternate,  stipu- 
late, generally  compound  leaves.  Flowers  papilionaceous,  sometimes  regu- 
lar ;  calyx  5-parted,  the  odd  segment  inferior  ;  petals  5,  the  odd  one  supe- 
rior ;  stamens  10,  rarely  5  or  indefinite,  monadelphous  or  diadelphous, 
sometimes  distinct,  commonly  perigynous ;  ovary  simple,  1-celled,  1-  to 
many-ovuled.     Fruit  a  1-  to  many-seeded  legume. 

A  very  large  order  of  plants,  occurring  in  all  parts  of  the  globe,  but  most 
abundantly  in  the  tropics.  It  has  been  divided  into  three  sub-orders, 
namely,  I^ajjilionacece,  Ccesaljnniece,  and  Mimosece.  To  the  first-named  sub- 
order belong  nearly  all  important  leguminous  plants  of  temperate  regions, 
and,  with  the  single  exception  of  Cassia — belonging  to  the  sub-order 
Coesalpiniece — all  North  American  species  of  medicinal  imjDortance. 


PAPILIONACE^. 

Character  of  the  Sub-Order. — Flowers  iDapilionaceous  ;  sepals  5,  more  or 
less  united,  often  unequally  so ;  petals  5,  irregular,  imbricate,  the  upper 
one  larger  than  the  others  and  usually  enclosing  them  in  the  bud  ;  stamens 
10,  rarely  5,  insei'ted  with  the  petals,  mona- 
delphous, diadelphous,  or  sometimes  dis- 
tinct ;  when  diadelphous,  usually  with  nine 
in  one  set  and  one  in  the  other.  Qvary  nor- 
mally 1-celled,  sometimes  becoming  2-celled, 
or  transversely  many-celled  by  development 
of  partitions  after  flowering.  Flowers  per- 
fect, solitary  and  axillary,  or  in  spikes,  ra- 
cemes, or  panicles. 

MELILOTUS.  — Melilot. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  5-toothed. 
Corolla  :  petals  free  from  the  stamen-tube, 
deciduous,  the  keel  blunt.  Stamens  dia- 
delphous, the  upper  one  free.  Pods  short, 
straight,  thick,  1-  or  few-seeded,  indehiscent. 
Annual  or  biennial  herbs,  with  trifoliate 
leaves,  and  flowers  in  spiked  racemes. 

Melilotus    officinalis    Willdenow. — 
Yellow  Melilot. 

Description. — Flowers   numerous,  2  to  3 
lines  long,  bright  yellow,  in  long  axillarj'  ra^ 
cemes.     Pod  oval,  2  lines  long,  obtuse  or  pointed. 

An  erect  annual  or  biennial,  2  to  4  feet  high,  branched,  glabrous.  Leaves 


Pig.  120.— Melilotus  officinalis. 


PSOKALEA.  131 

scattered,  on  long  petioles  ;  leaflets  of  the  lower  leaves  nearly  orbicular,  of 
the  upper  narrow,  often  linear. 

Habitat. — Cultivated  and  waste  places.     Introduced  from  Em-ope. 

Melilotus  alba  Lambert. —  White  Melilot. 

Dpscription. — Very  closely  resembling  the  preceding,  except  that  it  has 
white  flowers  and  is  a  somewhat  larger  plant. 

Habitat. — Cultivated  and  waste  places.     Introdviced  from  Europe. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents. — These  plants  in  drying  have  a  fragrant  odor,  due  to  the 
presence  of  coumarin — the  important  constituent  of  Tonka  beans  ;  and  they 
are  only  interesting  on  this  account. 

Preparations. — There  are  none. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Yet  to  be  determined.  That  coumarin 
exerts  a  decided  influence  upon  the  heart  is  well  known,  and  hence  all 
plants  in  which  this  principle  is  found  are  not  without  interest,  especially 
those  which  are  or  are  likely  to  be  used  as  adulterants  of  smoking  tobacco. 
There  is  good  reason  for  believing  that  many  of  the  ill  eS'ects  of  cigarette- 
smoking,  so  common  among  our  boys  and  young  men,  are  due,  not  to  the 
tobacco,  but  to  the  presence  of  adulterants  containing  coumarin.  (See  also 
Liatris  odoratissima.) 

PSORALEA. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  deeply  5-cleft,  the  lower  lobe  longest. 
Stamens  diadelphous,  or  occasionally  monadelphous.  Pod  about  the  length 
of  the  calyx,  indehiscent,  1-seeded,  sometimes  beaked. 

Shrubs  or  herbaceous  perennials,  commonly  dotted  with  prominent 
glands  or  points.  Leaves  3-  to  5-foliate.  Flowers  in  spikes  or  racemes, 
white,  blue,  or  purple. 

Psoralea  melilotoides  Michaux. 

Description. — Calyx  :  teeth  triaugulai'-ovate.  Pod  orbicular,  trans- 
versely wrinkled.  Herbaceous,  sparingly  pubescent,  glandular,  1  to  2 
feet  high.  Leaves  3-foliate  ;  leaflets  oblong-lanceolate,  dotted,  about  2 
inches  long.  SjDikes  oblong,  on  peduncles  three  to  four  times  as  long  as 
the  leaves  ;  flowers  one-fourth  inch  long,  usually  in  pairs  on  short  pedicels, 
appearing  in  May  and  June. 

Habitat.—Dry  soil,  Ohio,  Illinois,  and  westward. 

Psoralea  esculenta  Pursh. 

Description.  —Calyx  :  teeth  lanceolate,  a  little  shorter  than  the  corolla. 
Pods  beaked.  Herbaceous,  hair}^  about  1  foot  high.  Eoot  thick  and  fusi- 
form, about  the  size  of  a  walnut.  Leaves  5-foliate,  slightly  dotted  ;  leaflets 
lanceolate.  Spikes  dense,  on  long  peduncles  ;  flowers  pale  blue,  one-haK 
inch  long,  appearing  in  June  or  July. 

Habitat. — High  plains  from  Wisconsin  westward. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  root — not  official. 


132 


LEGUMINOS^E. 


Constituent. — Eesin  and  volatile  oil. 

Preparations. — None  are  ofKcial.  Alcoliol  extracts  the  most  important 
constituents  of  the  plants. 

Medical  Prop€rtiei<.  and  Uses. — The  above -described,  as  well  as  several 
other  indigenous  species  of  the  genus,  have  been  used  to  a  limited  extent 
as  remedial  agents,  but  not  sufficiently  to  estabhsh  their  character.  All  of 
them  have  a  pungent,  bitter,  and  somewhat  aromatic  taste,  and  are  doubt- 
less entitled  to  a  place  among  the  feebler  aromatic  bitter  tonics.  The  fusi- 
form root  of  I\  escidenta  is  somewhat  farinaceous,  and  was  formerly  eaten 
by  the  Indians  ;  wlien  roasted,  Pnrsh  says,  they  are  similar  to  yams.  The 
early  Canadian  voyageurs  gave  the  plant  the  name  pomme  de  prairie  or 
l)omme  hlanche. 

ROBINIA.— Locust  Tree. 

Robinia  Pseudacacia  Linne. — Common  Locust. 

Description. — Calyx    short,     5-toothed,     slightly    2-lipped.      Corolla : 

standard  large,  rounded,  re- 
flexed  ;  wing  and  keel  nearly 
as  long.  Stamens  diadelphous. 
Pod  about  3  inches  long,  flat, 
5-  to  6-seeded. 

In  its  native  habitat  a  large 
tree,  70  to  80  feet-  high  and  3 
to  4  feet  in  diameter  ;  farther 
north  it  seldom  attains  half 
this  size.  Leaves  unequally 
pinnate  ;  leaflets  9  to  13,  ses- 
sile, oval,  thin,  smooth  and 
shining.  Flowers  numerous, 
in  loose  pendulous  racemes, 
white,  and  very  fragrant ;  they 
appear  in  June. 

Habitat. — Southern  Penn- 
sylvania to  Illinois  and  south- 
ward. It  is  cultivated  for 
ornament  and  for  its  valu- 
able timber  in  all  parts  of  the 
country,   and  is  also  largely  grown  in  Eui'ope. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves,  flowers,  bark,  and  root — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  bark  has  yielded  to  analysis  asparagin  and  a  peculiar 
glucoside  termed  robinin. 

Preparations. — The  bark  has  been  employed  in  decoction,  the  leaves  in 
powder,  and  the  flowers  in  the  form  of  a  syrup. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — These  are  altogether  problematical.    The 


Fig.  121.— Robinia  Pseudacacia. 


BAPTISIA FALSE    INDIGO.  138 

baric  is  said  to  be  tonic,  emetic,  and  cathartic  ;  the  leaves  emetic ;  and  the 
flowers  mildly  narcotic.  Poisonous  effects  have  been  produced  in  children 
from  eating  the  root,  the  s^aiiptoms  resembling  those  of  belladonna.  The 
flowers,  to  the  author's  own  knowledge,  are  often  eaten  with  impunity. 

TEPHROSIA.— HoAKY  Pea. 

Tephrosia  Virginiana  Persoon. —  Goaf  a  Hue,  Turkey  Pea,  Catgut. 

Description. — Calyx  about  equally  5-eleft.  Corolla  :  standard  large, 
rounded,  reflexed  ;  keel  petals  broad.  Stamens  monadelphous  or  diadel- 
phous.  Pods  about  2  inches  long,  flat,  several-seeded.  An  herbaceous  peren- 
nial. Stems  numerous,  erect,  simple,  leafy  at  the  top,  silky  pubescent. 
Leaves  unequally  pinnate  ;  leaflets  17  to  29,  linear-oblong,  mucronate. 
Flowers  large  and  numerous,  in  dense  oblong  racemes,  yellowish-white 
marked  with  purple,  appearing  in  June  or  July. 

Habitat. — Dry,  sandy  soil,  Canada  to  Florida  and  westward. 

Paii.  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Coufitit  uents.  — Unknown. 

Preparation!^. — Used  only  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  root  of  this  j^lant  is  said  to  have 
been  used  by  the  Indians  as  a  vermifuge  before  the  settlement  of  the 
country  by  the  whites,  and  it  is  now  used  in  some  parts  of  the  United 
States  for  the  same  purpose.  Its  action  is  said  to  resemble  that  of  spigelia 
and  to  be  quite  as  efficient. 

BAPTISIA.— False  Indic40. 

Baptisia  tinctoria  Robert  Brown. — Wild  Indigo. 

Descrifjtion.—Caljx  4-  to  5-toothed.  Corolla  :  standard  not  longer  than 
the  wings,  reflexed ;  wings  and  keel  petals  straight.  Stamens  distinct. 
Pods  oval-globose,  on  a  stalk  longer  than  the  calyx,  several-seeded.  An 
herbaceous  perennial. '  Stems  smooth  and  slender,  freely  branched,  2  to  3 
feet  high.  Leaves  palmately  trifoliate  ;  leaflets  rounded,  obovate-wedge- 
shaped,  three-quarters  of  an  inch  long.  Flowers  yellow,  in  short  terminal 
racemes,  appearing  from  June  to  August. 

Habitat. — Dry,  sandy  soil,  Canada  to  Florida  and  westward. 

Part  Used. — The  root— not  official. 

Constituents. — The  most  recent  analysis  of  this  plant  demonstrates  the 
presence  of  a  peculiar  alkaloid,  as  yet  unnamed.  The  so-called  bapti.<in  of 
the  eclectics  is  an  impure  resinous  substance  obtained  from  the  alcoholic 
tincture  by  precii)itation  with  water. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  A  tincture  and  a  fluid  extract  occur 
as  commercial  preparations,  and  are  said  to  be  efficient.  The  author  has 
employed  a  tinctm-e  made  from  the  fresh  bark  of  the  root. 


134  LECUMINOS^E. 

3Iedical  Properties  and  U}<es. — Early  in  tins  century  Dr.  Thacher  bighly 
recommended  an  infusion  or  decoction  of  this  plant  as  an  antiseptic  ai^pli- 
cation  to  ill-conditioned  ulcers,  and  as  a  gargle  in  malignant  and  scarla- 
tinal sore  throat.  Other  physicians  considered  its  internal  use  efficacious 
in  typhus  (typhoid  ?)  and  malignant  scarlet  fevers.  In  more  recent  times 
it  has  gained  a  great  reputation  among  homoeopathic  and  eclectic  practition- 
ers, especially  in  typhoid  fever.  Some  years  ago  the  author  exjDerimented 
with  it  in  this  disease,  with  what  he  believed  to  be  satisfactory  results. 
(See  "Trans.  Med.  Soc.  State  of  New  York,"  1880.)  Further  experiments 
have  not  altogether  justified  the  conclusions  then  arrived  at ;  still  the  drug 
does  in  some  instances  aj^jjear  to  exert  a  favorable  influence,  and  is  worthy 
of  further  investigation. 

CASSIA.— Senna. 

Cassia  Marllandica  Linne, — American  Senna. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  5,  scarcely  united  at  the  base,  colored,  de- 
ciduous. Corolla  :  petals  5,  nearly  equal,  sj)reading.  Stamens  10,  rarely  5, 
distinct,  the  thx'ee  upper  commonly  abortive  ;  anthers  opening  by  two  pores^ 
at  the  top.  Pod  2  to  4  inches  long,  linear,  comj^ressed,  slightly  curved, 
at  first  hairy,  ultimately  nearly  glabrous,  many-celled  with  transverse  par- 
titions, many-seeded. 

An  herbaceous  perennial.  Stems  erect,  branching,  3  to  4  feet  high. 
Leaves  alternate,  equally  pinnate  ;  leaflets  in  6  to  9  pairs,  ovate-oblong, 
mucronate,  1  to  2  inches  long,  one-half  inch  wide.  Flowers  bright  orange- 
yellow,  in  short  axillary  racemes,  on  the  upper  part  of  the  stem  ;  they  are 
produced  during  July  and  August. 

Habitat. — Common  in  alluvial  soil  from  New  England  and  New  York 
southward  and  westward. 

Part  Used. — The  leaflets — formerly  official ;  dropped  from  the  last 
edition  of  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — A  satisfactory  analysis  of  this  plant  is  yet  to  be  made. 
One  analyst  has  found  in  it,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  vegetable  prin- 
ciples, a  complex  substance  resembling  the  so-called  cathartin  of  imported 
senna. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  It  yields  its  virtues  to  water,  and  is 
commonly  administered  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  action  of  American  senna  is  similar  to 
that  of  the  African  drug,  though  it  is  much  less  efficient,  a  dose  one-third 
or  one-half  larger  being  required  to  produce  the  same  effect.  On  this 
account  the  imported  article  is  generally  preferred. 

Other  species  of  cassia,  indigenous  or  introduced,  are  said  to  possess 
medicinal  activity,  but  are  not  sufficiently  employed  to  require  further 
notice  here. 


PRUNUS— PLUM  AND  CHEEKY.  135 


ROSACE/E. 


Character  of  the  Order, — Herbs,  shrubs,  or  trees, with  alternate,  stipulate 
leaves  and  regular  flowers.  Sepals  commonly  5,  rarely  less  or  more, 
united  at  the  base,  often  appearing  double  by  a  row  of  bractlets  outside  ; 
petals  as  many  as  the  sepals,  rarely  wanting,  inserted  with  the  stamens 
upon  the  calyx  ;  stamens  numerous,  rarely  few  ;  pistil  1  or  many,  distinct, 
or  in  the  pear  tribe  united  and  combined  with  the  calyx-tube.  Fruits  ex- 
ceedingly varied. 

A  very  large  and  important  order,  represented  in  all  parts  of  the  globe. 
Very  many  of  the  species  produce  valuable  fruits,  and  but  few  are  pos- 
sessed of  deleterious  properties.  Authorities  differ  widely  as  to  the  proper 
limitations  of  the  order.  Torrey  and  Gray  ("Flora  of  North  America")  in- 
clude in  it  four  sub-orders,  namely  :  Chrysobalanece,  Aini/r/dalecc,  Rosacne, 
and  Fomece.     The  first-named  sub-order  comprises  no  medicinal  species. 

AMYGDALE^, 

Character  of  the  Sub-Order. — Calyx  entirely  free  from  the  (usually) 
solitary  ovary,  deciduous.  Style  terminal  or  nearly  so.  Fruit  a  drupe 
(stone-fruit),  1-seeded  or  rarely  2-seeded.  Trees  or  shrubs,  with  simple 
leaves,  the  bark  exuding  gum,  and  the  bark,  leaves,  and  kernels  yielding 
the  peculiar  flavor  of  prussic  acid  (Gray).  This  section  comprises  all 
the  plants  of  the  order  which  possess  noxious  or  jDoisonous  pro2:)erties, 
and  in  all  the  poisonous  principle  is  the  same — prussic  acid — not  existing 
as  such  in  the  leaves,  bark,  and  kernels,  but  produced,  as  will  be  seen 
later  on,  by  infusion  in  water.  It  is  represented  in  North  America  by  the 
genus 

PRUNUS.— Plum  and  Cherry. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  5-cleft,  urn-shaped,  bell-shaped,  or 
tubular-obconical,  deciduous  after  flowering.  Petals  5,  distinct,  spread- 
ing, inserted  with  the  stamens  upon  the  calyx-tube.  Stamens  15  to  20. 
Ovary  solitary,  2-ovuled.  Fruit  fleshy,  with  a  bony  stone.  Commonly 
small  trees  or  shrubs,  Avith  edible  fruit. 

Prunus  serotina  Ehrhart(C'ems?ts  serotina  Loiseleur,  Cerasus  Virgin- 
iana  Michaux,  Prunus  Virginiana  Miller). —  Wild  Cherry,  Wild  Black  Cherry. 

Description. — Petals  small,  obovate,  quickly  deciduous.  Fruit  about  the 
size  of  a  pea,  nearly  black  when  ripe,  and  of  a  slightly  bitter  taste. 

In  favorable  locations  a  large  forest  tree.  Leaves  5  to  6  inches  long, 
lanceolate-oblong,  acuminate,  serrate  with  short  incurved  teeth,  some- 
what coriaceous,  dark  shining  green.  Flowers  in  long  terminal  racemes, 
appearing  in  June  after  the  tree  is  in  full  leaf. 

JIabitat. — Canada  to  Florida  and  westward ;  very  common. 


136 


ROSACEA. 


Prunus  Virginiana  Linnc:!  {Frunus  Canadensis  Marshall,  Frunus 
serotina  Poir,  Cerasus  Virginiana  Loiseleur,  Gerasus  serotina  Hooker). — 
Choke-Cherry. 

Description. — Petals  roundish.  Fruit  about  the  size  of  a  pea,  dark  red 
when  fully  ripe,  and  of  an  extremely  astringent  taste. 

A  shrub  or  small  tree,  with  a  grayish  bark.  Leaves  thin  and  mem- 
branous, 2    to   3  inches   long,    broadly  oval,   oblong   or   ovate,    abruptly 

pomted,  very  sharjDly  and  often  doubly 
serrate.  Flowers  in  loose,  short  ra- 
cemes terminating  the  branches,  ap- 
pearing in  May  after  the  leaves  are 
considerably  developed. 

Habitat. — From  Canada  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  and  westward ;  everywhere 
common. 

Fart  used. — The  bark  of  Prunus 
serotina  Ehrhart — official  name,  Pru- 
nus Virginiana — wild  cherry —  United 
States  Fharmacajjctaa.  The  bark  of  the 
other  species  is  said  to  be  fully  as  ef- 
ficient. As  will  be  seen  by  reference 
to  the  synonomy  of  the  two  species, 
there  has  been  great  confusion  among 
botanists  in  their  nomenclature  ; 
hence  the  wild  cherry  of  the  Pharma- 
cojooeia  bears  as  its  official  name  the 
proper,  and  at  pi'esent  generally  ac- 
cepted, title  belonging  to  choke- 
cherry. 

Constituents. — Wild  cherry  bark 
contains  tannic  and  gallic  acids,  resin, 
starch,  and  other  common  vegetable 
principles,  and  by  distillation  j-ields 
a  peculiar  volatile  oil  resembling  the 

f-erotina) 

volatile  oil  of  bitter  almonds,  con- 
taining hydroc3-anic  acid.  The  acid  does  not  pre-exist  in  the  bark,  but 
is  formed  by  the  action  of  a  proteid  upon  aniygdaJin,  an  amorphous 
or  crystalline  principle  present  in  all  plants  of  this  sub-order,  Amyg- 
dalin  is  not  poisonous  itself,  nor  is  the  proteid  substance.  Moreover, 
the  latter  is  coagulated  by  heat  and  thus  rendered  inert ;  hence  in 
order  to  obtain  hydrocyanic  acid  from  wild  cherry,  the  bark  must  first  be 
subjected  to  the  action  of  cold  water.  A  peculiar  bitter  principle  is  also 
Ijresent  in  wild  cherry  to  which  certain  of  the  medicinal  properties  of  the 
bark  are  due. 


serotina  Ehrhart  {Cet-asu 


SPIR.E  A — -MEADOW-SWEET.  13^ 

Preparations. — Extractum  pruiii  virginiana;  lluidum — fluid  extract  of 
wild  cherry  ;  infusum  pruni  virgiuianai— iufusion  of  wild  cherry  ;  syrupus 
pruni  virgiuiaiiffi — syrup  of  wild  cherry. —  United  States  J^harmacajya-ia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Wild  cherry  is  tonic,  astringent,  and 
sedative.  Its  tonic  virtues  doubtless  reside  in  the  bitter  principle  men- 
tioned above,  and  its  astringent  properties  are  due  to  the  tannic  and  o-al- 
lic  acids  which  it  contains,  while  its  sedative  influence  depends  entirely 
upon  the  hydrocyanic  acid  generated  by  its  infusion  in  water.  It  is  em- 
ployed chiefly  in  pulmonary  consumption,  and  not  unfrequently  with  very 
beneficial  eftects.  Under  its  use  the  appetite  improves,  and  both  the  cough 
and  expectoration  are  diminished.  As  the  percentage  of  hydrocyanic  acid 
present  in  the  infusion  is  very  small,  the  dose,  to  produce  a  decided  seda- 
tive effect,  must  necessarily  be  quite  large,  but  as  its  bitterness  is  also  of  a 
mild  character,  large  doses  are  generally  borne  without  inconvenience.  It 
is  sometimes  employed  in  conditions  of  simple  debility  and  in  convales- 
cence, but  here  chiefly  for  its  tonic  effect.  The  infusion,  made  with  cold 
water,  is  by  far  the  best  form  of  administration. 

ROSACEA. 

Character  of  the  Sub- Order. — Calyx  entirely  free  from  the  ovaries,  though 
sometimes  enclosing  them  in  its  tube,  commonly  persistent.  Stamens  few 
or  many.     Pistils  few  or  many,  distinct,  rarely  solitary. 

This  section,  the  largest  of  the  order,  comprises  man}'  of  the  small 
fruits  in  common  cultivation,  as  well  as  numerous  plants  cultivated  for 
ornament.     Many  plants  of  the  sub-order  possess  astringent  properties. 

SPIR^A.  — Me  ADOw-SwEET. 

Spiraea  tomentosa  Linne, — Hardhack,  Steeplehush. 

Description. — Calyx  5-cleft,  short,  persistent.  Corolla  :  petals  5,  obo- 
vate,  imbricate  in  the  bud.  Stamens  10  to  50.  Pistils  5,  distinct.  Pods 
few-seeded. 

A  small  shrub,  2  to  3  feefc  high,  somewhat  branched,  brittle,  clothed 
with  a  woolly  pubescence  which  easily  rubs  off".  Leaves  1  to  2  inches  long, 
ovate,  unequally  serrate,  deep  green  above,  thickly  coated  with  a  rusty  pu- 
bescence beneath.  Flowers  small,  numerous,  rose-colored,  rarely  white, 
in  a  beautiful  elongated  panicle,  appearing  in  July  and  August. 

Haljitat. — In  low  grounds  and  swampy  places  from  Canada  to  Georgia 
and  westward. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  bark  of  both  the  stem  and  the  root — not 
ofl&cial. 

Constituents. — Tannic  and  gallic  acids. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  A  decoction  is  usually  employed 
Solid  and  flmd  extracts  occm-  as  commercial  articles. 


138 


ROSACEA. 


3Iedical  Properties  and  Uses. — Hardback  and  other  species  of  spirsea, 
both  indigenous  and  exotic,  bave  been  used  considerably  as  astringents, 
both  internally  and  topically.  Their  action  appears  to  differ  in  no  way 
from  that  of  other  simple  vegetable  astringents. 


GILLENIA.— Indian  Physic. 

Gillenia  trifoliata  Moench. — Indian  Physic. 

Description. — Calyx  tubular-campanulate,  5-toothed,  the  teeth  some- 
what reilexed.     Corolla  :  petals  5,  unec[ual,  linear-lanceolate,  the  two  uj^per 

somewhat  separated  from  the  three 
lower,  inserted  in  the  throat  of  the 
calyx.  Stamens  10  to  20,  included. 
Pods  5,  included,  2-  to  4-seeded. 

An  herbaceous  perennial. 
Stems  several  from  one  root,  1  to 
2  feet  high,  erect,  slender,  flexuoUs, 
smooth,  commonly  tinged  with  red, 
and  considerably  branched.  Leaves 
alternate,  trifoliate  ;  leaflets  ovate, 
lanceolate,  acuminate,  sharjDly  ser- 
rate. The  upper  leaf  is  often  sin- 
gle. Flowers  few,  nodding,  rose- 
colored  or  white,  forming  a  loose 
paniculate  corymb,  aiDpeaiing  in 
July. 

Habitat. — Canada  and  Western 
New  York  to  Georgia. 

Part  Used. — The  root — not  of- 
ficial. 

Constituents.  —  In  addition  to 
the  ordinary  vegetable  principles, 
such  as  starch,  gum,  resin,  tannin, 
etc.,  gillenia  possesses  a  peculiar 
bitter  principle,  termed  giUenin,  to 
which  its  therapeutic  properties  are  due.  Gillenin  has  been  obtained  in 
the  form  of  a  whitish  powder,  soluble  in  water,  alcohol,  ether,  and  dilute 
acids.     It  has  a  very  bitter  taste  and  is  an  active  emetic. 

Preparations.— l^one  are  official.  The  root  is  commonly  administered 
in  powder.     A  fluid  extract  occurs  as  a  commercial  article. 

Medical  Pi^operties  and  Uses. — Gillenia  was  formerly  used,  especially  iu 
domestic  jDractice,  as  an  emetic.  It  is  said  to  act  like  ipecacuanha,  though 
less  efficiently.  In  very  small  doses  it  is  said  to  exert  a  tonic  influence 
upon  the  stomach  similar  to  that  of  ipecacuanha  when  used  in  like  manner. 


Fig.  123.— Gillenia  trifoliata. 


AGRIMONIA AGrj.AIO^ST. 


139 


Gillenia  stipulacece  Nuttall,  a  species  closely  resembling  tlie  preceding, 
and  growing  in  similar  situations,  is  possessed  of  identical  properties. 
Both  species  were  formerly  official,  but  have  been  dropped  from  the  Phar- 
macopoeia, since  they  are,  at  best,  but  poor  substitutes  for  ipecacuanha. 

AGRIMONI  A.  —Agrimony. 

Agrimonia  Eupatoria Linm'. — Agrimony. 

Description. — Calyx  turbinate,  contracted  at  the  throat,  5-cleft,  armed 
with  hooked  bristles.     CoroUa  :  petals  5,  twice  as  long  as  the  calyx,  yellow. 


Fig.  124.— Agrimonia  Eupatoria. 
Flower  enlarged. 


Fig.  126.— Agr: 


Eupatoria. 


FiQ.  12.5.— Agrimonia  Eupatoria. 
Flowers  natural  size. 


Stamens  12  to  15,  inserted  with  the  petals  in  the  throat  of  the  calyx.  Ova- 
ries 2  ;  styles  terminal.  Fruit  2-achenia  inclosed  in  the  persistent,  indu- 
rated calyx. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  2  to  4  feet  high.     Leaves  interruptedly  pin- 
nate ;  leaflets  5  to  7,  with  minute  ones  intermixed,  oblong-obovate,  coarsely 


140  EOSACE^. 

toothed.  Flowers  in  slender,  spiked  racemes,  appearing  from  July  to 
SejDtember. 

Habitat. — Borders  of  woods  from  Canada  to  Florida  and  westward. 
Common  in  Europe  also. 

Part  Used. — The  whole  plant — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  only  constituent  thus  far  discovered  in  agrimony  of 
theraiDCutic  importance  is  tannin,  which  exists  in  the  proportion  of  less 
than  five  per  cent. 

Freparations. — None  are  official—  a  decoction  or  infusion  is  efficient. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Agrimonia  has  been  used  considerably 
in  domestic  practice  in  cases  requiring  simple  vegetable  astringents. 

GEUM.— AvENs. 

Geum  rivale  Linne. — Jl'ater  A vens. 

Description. — Calyx  deeply  5-cleft,  the  segments  erect  or  spreading, 
jDurplish.  •  Corolla  :  petals  5,  broadly  obovate,  emarginate,  abruptly  nar- 
rowed into  a  claw  about  as  long  as  the  calyx,  light  purplish-orange.  Sta- 
mens numerous.  Achenia  numerous,  gathered  in  a  head  upon  a  dry,  coni- 
cal receptacle  ;  styles  articulated  and  bent  in  the  middle,  the  upper  part 
plumose,  the  lower  glabrous. 

An  herbaceous  perennial.  Stems  nearly  simjjle,  1  to  3  feet  high,  re- 
trorsely  pubescent.  Radical  leaves  lyrate  and  interruptedly  pinnate  ;  those 
of  the  stem  trifoliate  or  trilobed.  Flowers  few,  large,  nodding,  appearing 
in  May  and  June. 

Habitat. — Bogs  and  wet  meadows  from  Pennsylvania  northward  and 
westward.     Common  in  Europe  also. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — not  official. 

Constituents  — This  plant  has  not  been  analyzed,  but  it  is  believed  to 
possess  constituents  similar  to  those  of  Geum  urbanum,  a  closely  allied 
European  j^lant,  which  contains  volatile  oil,  tannin,  and  a  bitter  principle. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.     Boiling  water  extracts  its  virtues. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Water  avens  is  tonic  and  astringent.  It 
has  been  used  chiefly  in  relaxation  of  the  mucous  membranes. 

POTEXTILLA.  —Cinque-Foil. 

Potent!  I  la  Canadensis  Linm'. — Common  Cinque-Foil,  Five-Finger. 

Descripdion. — Calyx  flat,  deeply  5-cleft,  with  5  bractlets  alternating 
with  the  segments,  thus  appearing  10-cleft.  Corolla  :  petals  5,  longer  than 
the  calyx,  broadly  obovate  or  obcordate,  yellow.  Stamens  numerous. 
Achenia  numerous,  gathered  in  a  head  on  a  dry  receptacle. 

A  small  annual  or  biennial,  with  decumbent,  prostrate,  or  creeping  stems, 
producing  runners  in  summer.     Leaves  5-foliate  ;  leaflets  obovate-wedge- 


RUBUS — BRAMBLE.  141 

shaped,  cut-toothed  at  the  apex.  Flowers  solitary  on  long  axillary  pedun- 
cles, appearing  throughout  the  summer. 

Habitat. — In  dry  soil  from  Canada  to  Georgia  and  westward  ;  every- 
where common. 

Part  Used. — The  whole  plant — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — None  are  official  or  commercial.  Usually  administered 
in  decoction  or  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Cinque-foil  and  several  other  species  of 
the  genus  possess  mild  astringent  properties,  and  have  been  used,  chiefly 
in  domestic  practice,  in  diari-hoea,  dysentery,  leucorrhcea,  etc. 

RUBUS.  — Bkamble. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  5-parted,  without  bractlets.  Petals  5, 
deciduous.  Stamens  numerous,  inserted  into  the  border  of  the  disk. 
Achenia  numerous,  pulpy  and  drupaceous,  aggregated  upon  a  conical  or 
c^'lindrical  spongy  or  succulent  receptacle,  persistent  or  deciduous. 

Perennial  shrubby  or  sufiruticose  plants,  with  erect  or  procumbent, 
mostly  prickly  and  biennial  stems.  Leaves  pinnately  or  pedately  com- 
pound, or  simple. 

Rubus  villosus  Alton. — Common  High  Blackberry. 

Description. — Calyx  :  teeth  linear-acuminate.  Corolla  :  petals  obovate- 
oblong,  spreading,  much  longer  than  the  calyx,  white.  Fruit,  composed 
of  aggregated  drupes,  not  separating  from  the  succulent,  elongated  recep- 
tacle, one-half  to  1  inch  long,  one-fourth  to  one-half  inch  in  diameter,  black, 
sweet,  and  juicy. 

A  shrubby  perennial.  Stems  numerous,  1  to  (j  feet  high,  upright  or 
reclining,  furrowed,  armed  with  strong  recurved  prickles.  Leaves  3-foliate 
or  pedately  5-foliate  ;  leaflets  ovate  or  oblong-ovate,  mostly  acuminate, 
doubly  or  unequally  serrate,  the  terminal  one  somewhat  cordate,  petio- 
late.  Flowers  racemose,  numerous,  appearing  in  May  and  June ;  the 
fruit  ripens  in  August  and  September. 

Habitat.  —Common  everywhere  along  the  borders  of  woods,  old  fences, 
and  in  clearings.  The  bushes  vary  greatly  in  size  and  general  aiDpearancc, 
according  to  the  circumstances  of  their  growth.  The  fruit  also  is  variable 
in  respect  of  size,  succulence,  and  flavor. 

Rubus  Canadensis  Linne. — Low  Blackberry,  Runninrj  Blackberry,. 
Dewberry. 

'  Description.  — Calyx  :  teeth  mucronate.  Corolla  :  petals  twice  the 
length  of  the  calyx,  white.  Fruit  similar  to  the  preceding  but  shorter  and 
thicker,  the  individual  drupes  being  much  less  numerous  but  larger. 

A  low,  trailing  shrubby  plant.  Stems  at  first  ascending  but  ultimately 
trailing,    and  rooting   when  long  in  contact  with  the  earth,  less  prickly 


142  EOSACEiE. 

tliau  the  preceding.  Leaves  3-foliate,  or  pedately  5-  to  7-foliate  ;  leaflets 
oval  or  ovate-lanceolate,  mostly  acuminate,  thin,  nearly  smooth,  sharply 
cut-serrate.  Flowers  racemose,  appearing  in  May  ;  the  fruit  rij)ens  in  July 
and  August. 

Habitat. — Kocky  hills,  and  old,  neglected  fields.  Widely  distributed, 
but  much  less  common  than  the  preceding. 

Rubus  trivialis  Michaux. — Low-Bush  lUachherry. 

Description. — Calyx  :  teeth  rellexed.  Corolla  :  petals  broadly  obovate, 
more  than  twice  the  length  of  the  calyx,  white.     Fruit  large. 

Stem  shrubby,  procumbent,  armed  with  bristles  and  prickles.  Leaves 
3-foliate  or  pedately  5-foliate,  evergreen,  coriaceous,  nearly  glabrous  ;  leaf- 
lets ovate-oblong  or  lanceolate,  sharply  serrate.  Peduncles  1-  to  3-flow- 
ered  ;  flowers  large,  appearing  in  March  ;  the  fruit  ripens  in  May. 

Habitat. — In  sandy  soil  from  Virginia  to  Florida  and  westward. 

Rubus  strigosus  Michaux. — Red  Raspberry. 

Description. — Calyx  spreading.  Corolla  :  petals  erect,  about  as  long  as 
the  calyx,  white.  Fruit  an  aggregation  of  drupes,  which  falls  from  the 
spongy,  conical  receptacle  at  matiuity  ;  light  red,  sweet  and  juic}-. 

Stems  biennial,  iipright,  armed  with  stiff  bristles.  Leaves  3-  to  5-foliate  ; 
leaflets  oblong-ovate,  acuminate,  cut-serrate,  whitish-downy  underneath. 
Peduncles  axillary  and  terminal ;  the  flowers  appear  from  June  forward, 
and  the  fruit  rijiens  throughout  the  svimmer. 

Habitat. — Common  everywhere  along  the  borders  of  woods  and  in  old 
fields. 

Rubus  OCCidentalis  Linne. — Black  Raspberry,  Thimbleberry. 

Description. — Calyx  :  teeth  reflexed.  Corolla  :  petals  shorter  than  the 
sepals,  white.  Fruit  similar  to  the  preceding,  but  composed  of  smaller 
drupes,  purple-black,  sweet  and  juicy. 

Stems  biennial,  recurved,  armed  with  hooked  prickles.  Leaves  3-foli- 
ate, rarely  5-foliate  ;  leaflets  ovate,  acuminate,  doubly  serrate,  whitish- 
downy  underneath.  Flowers  in  axillary  and  terminal  clusters,  appearing 
in  May  ;  the  fruit  ripens  in  June  and  July. 

Habitat. — Common  along  old  fences  and  in  clearings  from  Canada  to 
Georgia  and  westward. 

Farts  Used. — The  bark  of  the  root  of  R.  villosus,  R.  Canadensis,  and  R. 
trivialis — official  name  :  Rubus — United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  The  fruit  of 
R.  strigosus  and  R.  occidentalis  is  permitted  by  the  PharmacoiDoeia  to  be  used 
instead  of  that  of  the  official  species,  R.  Idceus  Linne. 

Constituents. — Blackberry  root  contains  tannin  as  its  chief  and  most 
important  constituent. 

Raspberries  and  blackberries  are  among  the  most  important  of  indigen- 
ous small  fruits.  Though  possessed  of  no  strictly  medicinal  virtues,  the 
former  are  used  in  the  preparation  of  a  syrup  which  is  employed  as  a  pleas- 
ant vehicle. 


HYBHANGEA.  143 

Preparations. — Of  l-»lackl)orn-  root  :  Extractum  rubi  fluidum — fluid  ex- 
tract of  rubus  ;  syrupus  rubi — syrup  of  rubus.  Of  Rubus  Idanis  (or  It. 
fitrigosus  or  B.  occidentalu)  :  Syrupus  rubi  idaii — syrup  of  raspberry. — 
United  States  Pharmacopceia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Use.-<. — Blackberry  is  used  as  a  mild  astringent 
chiefly  in  the  diarrhoeas  of  infants  and  young  children.  It  is  generally 
well  borne  by  the  stomach,  and  though  less  efficient  than  many  other 
drugs  which  are  used  for  the  same  purposes,  may  often  be  employed  with 
excellent  results. 

Raspberries,  in  the  form  of  the  official  syrup,  are  used  only  as  a  vehicle. 

SAXIFRAGACE>E. 

A  large  order  of  herbs,  shrubs,  or  trees,  whose  limits  are  not  alto- 
gether settled.  As  the  medicinal  species  of  the  order  indigenous  to 
North  America  are  few  in  number  and  belong  to  difterent,  well-charac- 
terized sub-orders,  it  is  more  convenient  to  study  them  under  the  latter 
than  to  attempt,  from  the  few  species  examined,  to  characterize  the  entire 
order. 

HYDRAXGE.^. 

Character  of  the  Sub-Order. — Shrubs  or  trees,  with  opposite,  simple, 
exstipulate  leaves.  Flowers  in  cymes,  the  central  ones  complete,  the 
outer  ones  with  large  petals,  and  often  barren.  Calyx  more  or  less  adher- 
ent to  the  ovary,  4-  to  G-toothed.  Petals  4  to  G,  deciduous.  Stamens 
8  to  12,  in  two  rows,  or  numerous,  attached  to  the  calyx.  Ovai-y  of  2  to  5 
cai-pels  united  ;  styles  2  to  5.  Fruit  a  many-seeded  capsule,  crowned  with 
the  persistent  styles. 

HYDRANGEA. 

Hydrangea  arborescens  Linne.  —  Wild  Hydrangea. 

Description. — Calyx-tube  hemispherical,  8-  to  10-ribbed,  coherent  with 
the  ovary,  the  limb  4-  to  5-toothed.  Petals  ovate,  valvate  in  the  bud. 
Stamens  8  to  10,  filiform.  Capsule  2-celled,  many-seeded,  cro\\Tied  with 
the  persistent  styles. 

A  shrub,  4  to  8  feet  high.  Leaves  3  to  6  inches  long,  ovate,  rarely  cord- 
ate, acuminate,  serrate,  green  both  sides.  Cymes  flat  ;  the  marginal  flow- 
ers usually  sterile  and  radiant,  consisting  of  a  flat,  dilated,  and  colored 
calyx  ;  sometimes  all  fertile. 

Habitat.— 'Rocky  banks  from  New  Jersey  to  the  mountains  of  Georgia 
and  westward  to  Illinois. 

Part  Used. — The  root— not  official. 

Constituents. — Analysis  has  not  as  yet  yielded  any  results  which  throw 
light  upon  the  asserted  therapeutic  properties  of  this  plant. 


144  HAMAMELACE^. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  A  fluid  extract  occurs  as  a  commer- 
cial article. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Hydrangea  is  said  to  exert  a  specific  ac- 
tion upon  the  bladder  in  calculous  affections  in  their  earlier  stages,  effect- 
ing the  removal  of  the  deposits  and  moderating  the  pain  incident  to  their 
passage — all  of  which  may  be  true,  but  further  evidence  is  desirable. 

SAXIFRAGES. 

Character  of  the  Sub-Order. — Herbs,  with  alternate,  or  rarely  opposite, 
exstipulate  leaves.  Calyx  4-  to  5-toothed.  Petals  imbricated,  or  rarely 
convoluted  in  the  bud,  deciduous  or  withering-persistent.  Stamens  as 
many  or  twice  as  many  as  the  lobes  of  the  calyx.  Ovary  more  or  less  ad- 
herent to  the  calyx-tube.     Fruit  dry,  capsular,  or  follicular. 

HEUCHERA.  —Alum-Root. 

Heuchera  Americana  'LmnC'.—Alum-Eoot. 

Description. — Calyx  bell-shaped,  the  tube  adherent  at  the  base  to  the 
ovary,  5-cleft.  Corolla :  petals  5,  spatulate,  as  long  as  the  lobes  of  the 
calyx,  purplish  or  white.  Stamens  5.  Styles  2,  slender.  Pod  1-celled, 
with  2  parietal  placentt^,  many-seeded,  2-beaked,  opening  between  the 
beaks. 

An  herbaceous  perennial.  Leaves  nearly  all  radical,  roundish-cordate, 
somewhat  7-  to  9-lobed ;  the  lobes  short  and  rounded,  dentate-crenate,  with 
short  and  broad  mucronate  teeth.  Scapes  2  to  3  feet  high,  glandular,  and 
more  or  less  hirsute  with  short  hairs,  rarely  with  one  or  two  small  leaves. 
Panicle  loose,  many-flowered,  the  flowers  appeai-ing  in  May  and  June. 

Habitat.  —In  woods  and  rocky  places  from  Connecticut  to  Wisconsin 
and  southward. 

Part  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constituents. — Alum-root  contains  from  eighteen  to  twenty  per  cent,  of 
tannin. 

Preparations. — None  are  official. — It  is  generally  employed  in  decoc- 
tion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Cses.— Alum-root,  though  formerly  official,  is 
seldom  employed  except  as  a  domestic  remedy.  It  is  chiefly  used,  in 
decoction,  as  a  topical  astringent  in  sore  throat,  leucorrhcea,  menorrhagia, 
etc.     Other  species  of  heuchera  possess  similar  properties, 

HAMAMELACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Shrubs  or  trees,  with  alternate  simple  leaves 
and  deciduous  stipules.  Flowers  in  heads  or  spikes,  often  polygamous  or 
monoecious.     Calyx  adherent  to  the  base  of  the  ovary.     Petals  narrow, 


HAMAMELIS WITCH-HAZEL. 


145 


valvate  or  involute  in  the  bud,  inserted  upon  the  calyx  ;  sometimes  want- 
ing. Stamens  twice  as  many  as  the  petals,  the  alternate  ones  sterile  ;  some- 
times numerous.  Ovary  2-celled,  each  cell  1-o^axled.  Fruit  a  2-celled,  2- 
beaked,  woody  pod,  each  cell  containing  a  single  bony  seed. 

The  fertile  flowers  of  Liquidambar  consist  of  numerous  coherent  2- 
celled,  many-ovuled  ovaries. 


HAMAMELIS. —WiTcn-HAZEL. 

Hamamelis  Virginica  Ijiimi;.— Witch- JIazel. 

Description. — Calyx  4-parted,  with  2  or  3  bractlets  at  the  base.  Co- 
rolla :  petals  4,  long  and  narrow,  strap-shaped,  spirally  involute  in  the 
bud,  and  considerably  contorted  when  expanded,  yellow.     Stamens  8,  the 


^======4s|i>*^ 


Fig.  127.— Hamamelis  Virginica. 


four  alternate  ones  imperfect  and  scale-like.  Ov.ary  of  2  pistils  united  at 
the  base  ;  styles  short.  Pod  opening  loculicidally  from  the  top,  the  outer 
coat  separating  from  the  inner,  which  encloses  the  single  large,  bony  seed 
in  each  cell,  but  soon  bursts  elastically  into  two  pieces. 

A  large  shrub,  8  to  12  feet  high,  with  flexuous  branches.  Leaves  al- 
ternate, on  short  petioles,  obovate  or  oval,  rejDandly  sinuate-crenate,  un- 
equal or  obliquely  sub-cordate  at  the  base,  scabrous  with  minute  elevated 
spots  beneath.  The  flowers  are  in  axillary  clusters,  appearing  from  Sep- 
tember until  late  in  the  fall,  the  fruit  maturing  thd  next  year. 

Habitat. — In  moist  woods  from  Canada  to  Florida  and  westwai'd  ;  very 
common. 

10 


146  HAMAMELACE^. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves,  and  tlie  bark  of  tlie  young  branches.  The 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia  directs  that  the  leaves  collected  in  autiimn 
alone  be  used.  In  the  opinion  of  the  author  this  is  a  mistake,  for  from 
personal  experience  he  believes  the  bark  of  the  young  branches  to  be  more 
efficient. 

Constituents.  Chemical  analysis  has  as  yet  thrown  little  light  upon  the 
therapeutic  activity  of  witch-hazel.  The  only  constituent  thus  far  discovered 
of  known  efficacy  is  tannin,  which  was  found  in  the  bark  in  the  proportion 
of  8.10  per  cent. 

Freparations.- — Extractum  hamamelidis  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  hama- 
melis. — United  States  Pharjnacopceia.  A  so-called  extract  of  witch-hazel, 
said  to  be  prepared  by  distillation,  is  largely  used  as  a  popular  remedy.  A. 
saturated  tincture  of  the  bark  has  yielded  the  author  more  satisfactory  re- 
sults than  any  other  preparation  he  has  employed. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Hamamelis  until  recently  has  been  little 
employed  except  by  homoeopathic  practitioners  and  by  the  laity.  That  it 
possesses  therapeutic  activity  will  be  doubted  by  few  who  have  employed 
it  carefully  and  intelligently  ;  and  that  its  activity  is  greater  than  can  be 
reasonably  attributed  to  the  percentage  of  tannin  it  contains  will  be  con- 
ceded by  most  unprejudiced  observers.  As  stated  by  Dr.  Piffard  :  "  The 
sjphere  of  action  of  hamamelis  is  mainly  confined  to  the  vascular  system  and 
to  the  venous  rather  than  the  arterial  ;  in  fact,  its  influence  on  the  former 
is  as  decided  as  that  of  aconite  on  the  latter.  There  is  no  evidence,  how- 
ever, to  show  that  it  in  any  way  influences  vessels  of  the  viscera,  but,  so 
far  as  yet  known,  limits  its  efiects  to  vessels  distributed  to  the  skin  and 
mucous  membranes.  It  covers  a  portion  only  of  the  ground  occupied  by 
ergot  in  this  respect,  but  Avithin  its  own  proper  field  it  does  not  yield  to 
this  latter  in  efficacy."  ' 

It  is  employed  internall}'  in  hemorrhage  from  the  lungs,  bowels,  uterus, 
etc.,  and  topically  in  hemorrhoids  and  varicose  veins,  bruises,  sjjrains,  etc. 

LIQUID AMBAR.— Sweet  Gum  Tree. 

Liquidambar  Styraciflua  Linne. — Sweet  Gum  Tree. 

Description. — Flowers  usually  monoecious  ;  sterile  without  calyx  or  co- 
rolla, arranged  in  a  conical  cluster,  stamens  numerous  ;  fertile,  also  naked, 
consisting  of  numerous  2-celled  ovaries  collected  in  a  globular  head.  Fruit 
a  spherical,  woody  head,  made  up  of  the  cohering  ovaries,  each  of  whose 
cells  opens  at  maturity  between  its  two  beaks.  Ovules  in  each  cell  nu- 
merous, but  only  one  or  two  of  them  perfecting. 

A  large,  beautiful  tree  ;  stem  straight,  freely  branched  above,  with  a 
gray,  corrugated  bark,  that  of  the  young  branches,  especially  in  young- 


'  Materia   Medica  and  Therapeutics,  p.  212.     By  Charles  D.  F.  Phillips,  edited  by 
H.  G.  Piffard.     New  Ycrk,  1879. 


LIQUIDAMBAR — SWEET    GUM    TREE. 


14 


trees,  with  elevated  cork}-  ridges.  Leaves  rounded  iu  general  outline, 
deeply  5-  to  7-lobed,  smooth  and  shining,  glandular-serrate,  the  lobes 
pointed.     They  become  deep  crimson  in  autumn,  and  thus  give  the  tree  a 


Fig.  128. — Liquidambar  Styraciflua. 

strikingly  beautiful  appearance.  The  flowers  are  produced  in  April,  the 
fruit  maturing  in  autumn  and  persisting  upon  the  tree  until  late  in  the 
season. 

When  wounded  the  bark  exudes  a  sweetish,  resinous  gum  resembling 
storax,  and  possessing  similar  properties.  Storax  itself  is  produced  by  an 
exotic  species  of  the  same  genus,  Liquidambar  oriotfalix  ]\Iiller. 

Habitat. — In  moist  woods  from  Connecticut  to  Illinois  and  southward. 

JPart  Used. — The  gum — not  official. 

Constituents. — Sweet  gum,  as  it  exudes,  is  a 
thick  liquid  of  a  syrupy  consistence,  but  hardens 
upon  exposure  and  finally  becomes  solid.  It  has 
a  pleasant  balsamic  odor  and  a  sweetish,  bal- 
samic taste,  followed  by  a  sensation  of  pungency. 
It  contains  cinnamic  acid,  styracin,  and  an  aro- 
matic oily  hydro-carbon  having  the  properties  of 
styrol.  These  are  the  essential  constituents  of 
storax  also. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  A  syrup  of 
sweet  gum,  prepared  according  to  the  official 
formula  for  syruj)  of  tolu,  is  said  to  be  an  eligi- 
ble preparation. 

Medical  Proiierties  and  Uses. — ^Like  storax,  sweet  gum  is  used  chiefly  in 
catarrhal  affections,  especially  those  of  the  respiratory  and  urinary  mucous 


Liauiflamlmr  Styraciflua 

(Frii:ti. 


148  ONAGRACE.E. 

membranes,  as  clirouic  bronchitis,  cystitis,  pyelitis,  gonorrhoea,  and  gleet. 
Externally,  in  the  form  of  an  ointment,  it  has  been  employed  successfully 
in  scabies,  burns,  frost-bites,  and  indolent  ulcers. 


ONAGRACE>E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  with  simple  leaves  and  commonly  4- 
merous  flowers.  Calyx  tubular,  cohering  with  the  2-  to  4-ceUed  ovary,  the 
limb  usually  4-cleft,  its  lobes  valvate  in  the  bud.  Petals  convolute  in 
the  bud,  occasionally  wanting.  Stamens  as  many,  or  twice  as  many,  as 
the  lobes  of  the  calyx,  and  inserted  upon  the  calyx-tube.  Style  single. 
Fruit  succulent  or  caj^sular. 

An  order  represented  in  North  America  by  fifteen  genera  and  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  sjjecies,  mostly  unimportant  plants. 

EPILOBIUM.— Willow  Herb. 

Epilobium  angustifolium  Linne. — Great  Willow  Herb. 

Description. — Calyx-tube  not  prolonged  beyond  the  ovary,  the  limb  4- 
cleft,  deciduous.  Corolla :  petals  4,  obovate,  unguiculate,  pink-purple. 
Stamens  8.  Capsule  linear,  4-sided,  4-celled,  4-valved,  many-seeded,  the 
seeds  with  a  tuft  of  long  hairs  at  the  end. 

An  herbaceous  perennial.  Stem  erect,  4  to  7  feet  high,  simj^le,  mostly 
glabrous.  Leaves  sessile,  lanceolate,  nearly  entire,  or  with  slightly  undu- 
late margins.  Flowers  large  and  showy,  in  a  long  spicate  raceme,  appear- 
ing from  July  till  September. 

Habitat. — From  the  mountains  of  North  Carolina  northward  and  west- 
ward.    Very  common  from  Pennsylvania  and  New  York  northward. 

I'arts  Used. — The  leaves  and  root— not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — There  are  none.  The  plant  is  said  to  yield  its  \drtues 
to  water  or  alcohol. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — "Willow  herb  is  said  to  be  "  tonic,  astrin- 
gent, demulcent,  and  emollient.  An  infusion  of  the  leaves  will  be  found 
beneficial  in  chronic  diarrhoea,  dysentery,  leucorrhoea,  menorrhagia,  and 
uterine  hemorrhage,  and  forms  an  excellent  local  appHcation  for  ophthal- 
mia, ulcerations  of  the  mouth  and  throat,  and  leucorrhoea.  The  leaves  in 
poultice  are  a  valuable  remedy  for  foul  and  indolent  ulcers "  (King).  If 
the  plant  be  really  so  valuable  as  the  above  statement  would  indicate,  it  is 
rather  remarkable  that  its  virtues  are  not  better  known  and  appreciated. 

Several  other  indigenous  species  of  epilobium  have  been  used  medic- 
inally, but  without  acquiring  any  reputation. 


(ENOTHERA EVENING    PRIMROSE.  149 


(ENOTHERA.— E^'ENING  Puimrose. 

CEnothera  biennis  Linne. — Evening  Primrose. 

Description. — Calyx-tube  prolonged  beyond  the  ovary,  deciduous,  the 
limb  4-cleft,  the  lobes  reflexed.  Corolla  :  petals  4,  obcordate,  light  yellow. 
Stamens  8.     Capsules  oblong,  4-valved,  many-seeded. 

An  annual  or  biennial  herb.  Stem  erect,  commonly  hairy,  ■  to  5 
feet  high.  Leaves  ovate-lanceolate,  acute,  obscurely  toothed.  Flowers  in 
a  terminal  spike  ;  they  expand  late  in  the  afternoon  or  in  the  evening  and 
wither  next  day.  The  plant  occurs  in  numerous  vaiieties,  differing  in  re- 
spect to  size  of  flowers,  etc. 

Habitat. — In  fields,  waste  places,  along  fences  and  roadsides  ;  common 
everywhere. 

JParts  Used. — The  bark,  leaves,  and  the  young  branches — not  official. 

Constituents.  —Unknown. 

Pr'eparations. — A  decoction  has  Ijeen  recommended. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Dr.  Griffith  recommends  the  decoction 
as  a  local  application  "in  infantile  eruptions,"  of  what  character,  however, 
he  does  not  state.     Its  virtues,  if  it  have  any,  are  yet  to  be  ascertained. 

UMBELLIFER/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  with  alternate,  mostly  compound  leaves, 
and  flowers  in  umbels.  Calyx  Avholly  adherent  to  the  ovary  ;  limb  obso- 
lete or  minutely  5-toothed.  Petals  5,  small,  imbricate  in  the  bud,  or  val- 
"vate,  with  the  point  inflexed,  inserted,  together  with  the  5  stamens,  upon 
the  disk  which  crowns  the  ovary.  Ovary  2-celled,  each  cell  1-ovuled  ; 
stjdes  2.  Fruit  composed  of  2  seed-like  carj)els,  which  during  develop- 
ment are  closely  adherent  to  each  other,  but  at  matvirity  separate  and  are 
usually  suspended  from  the  summit  of  a  prolongation  of  the  axis.  Each 
carpel,  commonly  though  erroneously  denominated  a  seed,  is  marked  lon- 
gitudinally by  5  primary  and  5  alternate  secondary  ridges,  between  which 
are  minute  tubes,  called  vitttv,  containing  essential  oil.  Seed  i:)roper  sus- 
pended fi'om  the  summit  of  the  cell,  with  a  minute  embryo  in  hard  albu- 
men. Stems  usually  hollow.  Leaves  with  dilated  or  clasping  petioles. 
Umbels  generally  compound,  the  secondary  ones  being  termed  innbellets. 

A  very  large  and  well-characterized  order,  comprising  many  species 
of  medicinal  or  economic  importance.  Many  of  them  possess  agreeable 
aromatic  properties  ;  man}'  others,  on  the  other  hand,  are  actively  poison- 
ous. In  general  the  poisonous  members  of  the  order  grow  in  wet  places, 
so  that  an  umbellate  plant  found  in  such  a  situation  should  be  viewed 
"^vith  suspicion  vmtil  its  character  has  been  ascertained.  The  flowers  of  all 
plants  of  the  order  bear  a  close  similarity  to  each  other,  and  are  therefore 


150  UMBELLIFER^. 

of  little  use  in  determining  the  genera,  which  must  be  studied  by  the 
fruits,  leaves,  etc. 

The  order  is  represented  in  North  America  by  fortj^-five  genera  com- 
prising one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  species,  few  of  which  are  of  medicinal 
importance. 

SANICUL  A.  — Sanicle. 

Sanicula  Marilandica  Liune. — Sanicle,  Black  Snakeroot. 

DescrijMon. — Calyx-teeth  persistent.  Petals  obovate,  erect,  connivent, 
with  a  long  inflexed  point,  greenish  or  yellowish.  Styles  elongated  and 
conspicuous,  recmwed.  Fruit  globular,  the  carpels  not  separating  at  ma- 
turity, without  ribs,  thickly  set  Avith  hooked  prickles,  and  having  each  5 
oil-tubes. 

A  perennial  herb,  2  to  3  feet  high.  Leaves  digitately  5-  to  7-parted,  the 
segments  incisely  and  mucronately  serrate,  the  radical  ones  loug-petioled. 
Umbels  irregular  or  compound,  the  flowers  capitate  in  the  uml:)ellets,  most 
of  them  perfect  but  with  many  staminate  ones  intermingled,  the  latter  on 
slender  pedicels.     Fruits  several  in  each  umbellet. 

Habitat. — Woods  and  copses,  Canada  to  Carolina  and  westward  ;  every- 
where common, 

I^art  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constituents.  — Unknown. 

Preparations. — It  is  administered  in  powder  or  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Perhaps  it  would  be  well  to  state  that 
the  medical  properties  of  sanicle,  if  it  have  any,  are,  like  its  constituents, 
unknown,  though  various  and  contradictory  properties  have  been  ascribed 
to  it  ;  as,  for  instance,  that  it  is  nervine,  anodyne,  and  astringent,  and  that 
it  has  been  used  with  advantage  in  intermittent  fever,  sore  throat,  cynanche 
trachealis,  erysipelas,  some  skin  diseases,  chorea,  gonorrhoea,  dysentery, 
passive  hemorrhages,  and  leucorx'hcea.  Until  further  evidence  be  adduced 
in  its  favor,  one  may  reasonably  remain  skeptical  regarding  its  vii'tues, 

ERYNGIUM.  — Eryngo. 

Eryngium  yuccaefolium  Michaux. — Rattlesnake's  Master,  Bidton 
Snakeroot. 

Description. — Calyx-teeth  persistent.  Petals  connivent,  oblong-obovate, 
emarginate,  with  a  very  long  inflexed  point.  Styles  filiform.  Carpels 
semi-terete  without  ribs  or  oil-tubes. 

A  perennial  herb,  1  to  6  feet  high.  Leaves  broadly  linear,  with 
straight,  simple  parallel  veins,  remotely  ciliate  with  soft  spines.  Flowers 
sessile,  in  dense  globose  or  cylindrical  heads,  appearing  in  July  or  August. 

Habitat. — Dry  or  damp  pine  barrens  or  prairies  from  New  Jersey  to 
Wisconsin  and  southward. 


151 


Part  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Administered  in  decoction. 

3Iedical  Praperties  and  Uses. — Button  snakeroot  is  one  of  the  numerous 
plants  reputed  to  cure  the  Lite  of  the  rattlesnake.  It  is  diaphoretic,  di- 
uretic, expectorant,  and  in  large  doses  emetic. 

Other  indigenous  species  of  this  genus  probably  possess  similar  prop- 
erties. 


DAUCUS.- 

, — Carrot. 


-Carrot. 


Daucus  Carota  Liunc 
Description. — Calyx   5-toothed.      Corolla,    petals   obovate,   emarginate 
with  an  inflexed  point,  the  exterior  ones  larger  than  the  others,  deeply  2- 


cleft. 


Fig.  130  —Daucus  Carota. 

Finiit  ovate  or  oblong  ;  the  carpels  with  5  primary  slender  bristly 


ribs,  of  which  three  are  on  the  back  and  two  on  the  flattened  surface,  and 
4  secondary  ribs,  each  with  a  single  row  of  bristles,  and  underneath  it  an 
oil-tube. 


152  UMBELLTFER^. 

A  biennial  herb,  -u-itb  a  fusiform  root.  Leaves  2-  to  3-pinnate,  or  piu- 
nately  divided.  Umbels  concave,  with  an  involucre  of  several  trifid  or 
23innatifid  leaflets.  Flowers  white  or  cream-colored,  the  central  one  of 
each  umbellet  abortive  and  dark  purj^le  ;  they  are  produced  throughout 
the  summer. 

Habitat. — A  native  of  the  Eastern  continent  but  natui'alized  throughout 
the  United  States,  and  in  many  places  has  become  a  very  troublesome 
-weed.  The  cultivated  varieties  produce  large  fleshy  roots  of  great  eco- 
nomic value. 

Part  Used. — The  fruit — not  official. 

Constituents. — Carrot  fruit  contains  a  small  percentage  of  aromatic  vol- 
atile oil,  to  which  it  owes  its  medicinal  activity. 

Preijarations. — It  is  common!}'  administered  in  powder. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Carrot  fruit  is  stimulant,  diuretic,  and 
somewhat  aromatic.  Like  m^iy  other  remedies  of  similar  properties,  it 
has  been  used  to  stimulate  menstruation  and  for  the  relief  of  strangury. 
The  root  of  the  cultivated  plant  boiled  and  reduced  to  a  puljD  forms  an  ad- 
mirable poultice. 

HER  ACLEUM.  —Cow-Parsnip. 

Heracleum  lanatum  Michaux. — Ilasterworf,  Coio-Parsnip. 

DescrijMon. — Calyx-teeth  minute  or  obsolete.  CoroUa  :  petals  obcor- 
date  with  an  inflexed  point,  those  of  the  outer  flowers  often  larger  and 
radiant,  appearing  deeply  2-cleft.  Fruit  comj^ressed  on  the  back,  with  a 
broad  flat  margin  ;  ribs,  3  dorsal  and  equi-distant,  2  lateral  near  the  di- 
lated margin  ;  oil-tubes  shorter  than  the  fruit,  1  in  each  interval  and  usu- 
ally 2  in  the  commissure. 

A  large  perennial  herb.  Stem  4  to  8  feet  high.  Leaves  large,  ternately 
divided,  the  segments  4  to  10  inches  in  diameter,  imequally  lobed,  the 
lobes  acuminate,  nearly  glabrous  above,  pubescent  beneath.  Umbels 
widely  spreading,  6  to  10  inches  or  more  in  diameter  ;  involucre  of  6  to  10 
oblong-lanceolate,  caducous  leaflets.     Flowers  white,  appearing  in  June. 

Habitat. — In  rich  wet  ground  from  Labrador  to  Pennsylvania  and  west- 
ward. 

Part  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constituents.  — Unknown. 

Preparaiions. — Used  in  infusion. 

lledicat  Properties  and  Fses. — When  fresh,  the  leaves  or  root  placed  in 
contact  with  the  skin  cause  irritation  and  inflammation.  The  root  is  said 
to  be  stimulant,  antispasmodic,  and  carminative.  Though  recommended  in 
epilepsy  and  a  variety  of  other  nervous  disorders,  little  is  known  of  its  effi- 
cacy. That  it  is  active,  even  poisonous,  seems  well  established,  but  its 
therapeutic  uses  are  yet  to  be  ascertained. 


CICUTA — WATEIMIEMLOCK.  153 


ARCHAXGELICA. 

Archangelica  atropurpurea  Hoffmau. — Great  Angelica. 

Description. — Calyx- teeth  short.  Corolla:  petals  elliptical,  entire,  with 
an  inflexed  point.  Fruit  somewhat  dorsally  compressed,  smooth  ;  carpels 
with  3  rather  thick  carinated  dorsal  ribs,  and  with  lateral  ribs  dilated  into 
marginal  wings  ;  seed  becoming  loose  in  the  pericarp,  and  having  nuiner- 
ous  oil-tubes  which  adhere  to  its  surface. 

A  large  perennial  herb.  Stem  4  to  6  feet  high,  smooth,  striate-sulcate, 
dark  purple.  Leaves  usually  Avith  large  inflated  petioles,  3-parted,  the 
divisions  bipinnately  divided  ;  segments  of  the  secondary  divisions  5  to 
7,  sharply  cut-serrate,  acute.  Umbels  somewhat  globose  after  flowering, 
6  to  8  inches  in  diameter  ;  flowers  greenish-white,  appearing  in  May  and 
June.  0 

Habitat. — Low  river  banks,  Pennsylvania  to  "Wisconsin  and  northward. 

l^art  Used. — The  root — not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — Unknown,  but  jDrobably  similar  to  those  of  European  an- 
gelica, namely,  a  volatile  oil,  a  somewhat  acrid  resin  termed  angelicin,  and 
common  vegetable  principles. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  The  drug  is  administered  in  powder 
or  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Angelica  is  aromatic,  stimulant,  diapho- 
retic, and  in  large  doses  emetic.  It  has  been  employed  with  benefit  in 
chronic  bronchitis,  chronic  rheumatism  and  gout,  intermittent  fever,  etc. 
Like  many  other  remedies  of  similar  properties,  it  is  used  in  domestic 
practice  to  promote  the  menstrual  discharge. 

CICUTA.— Water-Hemlock. 

Cicuta  maculata  Linne. — American  Water-Hemlock,  Si^otted  Coic- 
hane,  Musquash  Boot. 

Description. — Calyx-teeth  minute.  Corolla  :  petals  obovate  with  in- 
flexed  points,  white.  Fruit,  sub-globose,  laterally  contracted  ;  carpels  with 
5  flatfish,  strong  ribs,  the  intervals  each  with  an  oil-tube. 

A  stout  perennial  herb,  with  tuberous  roots.  Stem  4  to  8  feet  high, 
finely  striate  with  green  and  purple,  and  sometimes  spotted.  Leaves 
thrice  pinnately  or  ternately  compound,  the  lower  ones  on  long  petioles  ; 
leaflets  lanceolate  or  oblong,  serrate,  acuminate,  with  veias  appearing  to  ter- 
minate in  the  notches  ;  close  observation,  however,  shows  that  they  are  con- 
tinued along  one  side  to  the  points  of  the  teeth.  Umbels  without  an  invo- 
lucre or  with  one  of  1  or  2  leaflets.  The  flowers  are  produced  in  July  and 
August. 

Habitat. — In  swamps  and  wet  places  ;  common  everywhere. 


154 


U3IBELLIFER/E. 


Water-liemlock,  though  au  energetic  poison,  is  not  used  medicinally. 
It  is  introduced  here  merely  that  it  may  be  distinguished  from  Conium 
maculatum,  described  below,  for  the  two  are  not  infrequently  confounded 
by  the  superficial  observer. 

CONIUM.— Poison  Hemlock. 


Conium  maculatum  Ijinuv.— Poison  Hemlock. 

Description. — Calyx-teeth  obsolete.  Corolla  :  petals  obcordate,  with  a 
short  infiexed  point,  white.  Fruit  ovate,  laterally  compressed  ;  carpels 
with  5  prominent,  wavy  ribs,  the  intervals  without  oil-tubes  ;  seed  grooved 
on  its  face. 

A  biennial  herb,  with  a  fusiform  root.  Stem  2  to  5  feet  high,  round, 
branched,  glabrous,  often  spotted  with  purple.       Leaves   decom230v;nd  ; 

ultimate  segments  ovate  or  lan- 
ceolate, deeply  cut.  Umbels  ter- 
minal, not  large  for  the  size  of 
the  plant ;  involucre  and  involu- 
cels  3-  to  5-leaved,  the  latter  uni- 
lateral. The  flowers  ajDjDear  in 
July. 

Habitat. — Conium  is  indige- 
nous to  Europe  and  Asia,  but  has 
become  natm-alized  here  and  is 
common  in  waste  places  in  the 
Northern  and  Middle  States. 

Part  Lsecl—The  fruit,  gath- 
ered while  yet  green — United 
States  riiarmacopccia.  The  juice 
of  the  fresh  plant — Succus  conii — 
was  formerly  official,  but  has 
been  dropped  because  of  its  un- 
reliability. The  leaves  are  also 
efficient,  though  no  longer  of- 
ficial. 

Constituents. — The  most  im- 
portant constituent  of  conium  is 
the  alkaloid  conia.  This  is  a  vo- 
latile, colorless,  inflammable,  oily 
liquid,  specific  gravity  0.88,  having  a  strong  alkaline  reaction  and  a  dis- 
agreeable, tobacco-like  odor,  resembling  that  of  the  fresh  plant.  The 
therapeutic  virtues  of  conium  reside  in  conia,  its  other  constituents  being 
imimportant. 

Preparations. — Abstractum  eonii — abstract  of  conium  ;  extractum  conii 


Fig.  1.31. — Conium  maculatum. 


AKALIA.  155 

alcoholicum — alcoholic  extract  of  conium  ;  extractuin  conii  fluidum — lluid 
extract  of  conium  ;  tinctura  conii — tincture  of  coniuui. — United  States 
Fluinnacopoiia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  literatui'e  of  few  drugs  is  more  un- 
satisfactory than  that  of  conium,  chiefly  because  inefHcient  or  wholly  inert 
preparations  have  been  so  largely  employed.  The  active  principle  is  not 
only  volatile,  but  also  subject  to  chemical  decomposition  ;  hence  the  leaves 
and  fruit  rapidly  deteriorate  when  carelessly  preserved,  and  hence,  also, 
preparations  are  not  infrequently  either  spoiled  during  'the  process  ol 
manufacture  or  ruined  by  want  of  care  in  keeping.  From  these  causes 
have  resulted  many  of  the  conflicting  statements  regarding  the  therapeutic 
activity  of  the  drug.  Those  observers  who,  reasoning  from  the  physiolog- 
ical action  of  conium,  have  deduced  the  indications  for  its  use  as  a  remed}-, 
mainly  agree  in  recommending  it  in  cases  of  undue  muscvilar  excitement, 
MS  in  acute  mania  and  chorea,  where  it  is  desirable  to  lessen  the  wear  of 
the  system,  and  in  diseases  of  a  spasmodic  character,  as  asthma,  whooping- 
cough,  laryngismus  stridulus,  and  tetanus.  This  deduction  is  exceedingly 
plausible,  since  conium  exerts  its  most  decided  effects  upon  the  motor 
nerves,  and  probably  has  no  direct  action  upon  the  sensory  filaments.  But 
those  observers  Avho  have  rested  their  opinions  upon  clinical  experience 
rather  than  theoretical  deductions,  assert  quite  as  positively  that  conium 
exerts  an  alterant  and  deobstruent  influence  upon  a  variety  of  glandular 
enlargements  and  tumors,  and  that  it  is  capable  of  relieving  the  pains 
of  cancer  and  those  of  other  painfvil  affections.  With  greater  care  in  the 
selection  of  efficient  preparations,  these  differences  of  opinion  will  probably 
grow  rapidly  less,  and  soon  the  true  place  of  the  drug  will  be  found. 

ARALIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  shrubs,  or  trees,  having  the  general 
characteristics  of  the  Umbellifertie,  but  differing  in  respect  to  the  fruit, 
which  always  consists  of  more  than  two  carj^els  and  is  in  the  form  of  a 
drupe.  The  order  is  represented  in  North  America  by  two  genera,  name- 
ly, AraUa  and  Fatsia,  the  former  comprising  medicinal  species. 

ARALIA. 

Character  of  the  G'eji us.-:— Calyx-tube  adherent  to  the  ovary,  the  limb 
5-toothed,  or  entire  and  almost  obsolete.  Corolla  :  petals  5,  inserted  on 
the  margin  of  the  epigynous  disk.  Stamens  5,  alternating  with  the  petals, 
epigynous.  Styles  2-  to  5,  mostly  distinct,  or,  in  the  sterile  flowers,  short 
and  united.  Ovary  2-  to  5-celled,  with  a  single  pendulous  ovule  in  each 
cell.     Fruit  a  drupe,  with  as  many  seeds  as  there  are  cells  in  the  ovary. 

Herbs,  shrubs,  or  trees,  with  compound  or  decompound  leaves.  Flow- 
ers more  or  less  polygamous,  white  or  greenish,  in  umbels. 


156  AKALIACEiE. 

The  genus  comprises  two  sub-genera,  Aralia  proper  and  Ginseng 
{Panax  Linne). 

Aralia. — Flowers  monoeciously  polygamous  or  perfect.  Styles  and 
cells  of  the  ovary  5.     Fruit  black  or  dark  purple. 

Aralia  spinosa  Liune. — Angelica  Tree,  Hercules   Club. 

Description. — A  shrub  or  low  tree.  Stem  and  petioles  prickly.  Leaves 
bipinnately  compound  ;  leaflets  ovate,  serrate,  acuminate,  glabrous  above, 
glaucous  beneath.  Umbels  in  a  very  large,  much-branched  panicle. 
Flowers  white,  appearing  in  July  and  August. 

Habitat. — In  damp  woods  on  river-banks  from  Pennsylvania  to  Florida 
and  westward. 

Aralia  racemosa  Linnc. — Spikenard. 

Description. — An  herbaceous  perennial.  Stem  3  to  5  feet  high,  divari- 
cately branched.  Leaves  ternately  or  quinately  decompound  ;  leaflets  cor- 
date-ovate, doubly  serrate,  acuminate,  slightly  pubescent.  Umbels  small 
and  numerous,  in  large  doubly  compound  racemose  panicles.  Flowers 
small,  greenish-white,  appearing  in  July.  The  roots  are  large  and  fleshy, 
and  have,  as  well  as  the  whole  plant,  an  aromatic  but  not  altogether 
agreeable  odor. 

Habitat. — In  I'ich  woods  from  Canada  to  Georgia  and  westward. 

Aralia  nudicaulis  Linne. —  Wild  SarsapariUa. 

Description. — An  herbaceous  perennial.  Root  or  rhizome  long,  j)ros- 
trate,  cree^Ding  just  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Stem  very  short, 
bearing  a  single  long-stalked  leaf  and  a  shorter  scajje.  Petiole  3-cleft, 
each  division  pinnately  5-foliate  ;  leaflets  oblong-ovate,  or  oval,  serrate, 
acuminate  Scape  with  2  to  7  umbels  of  greenish-white  flowers.  Fruit 
purplish-black.     The  flowers  ajDj^ear  in  May  and  June. 

Habitat. — In  rich  moist  woods  from  Canada  to  the  mountains  of  the 
Southern  States. 

Ginseng  [Panax  Linne). — Flowers  dioeciously  polygamous.  Styles  and 
cells  of  the  ovary  2  or  3.     Fruit  red  or  reddish. 

Aralia  quinquefolia  Decaisne  and  Planchon — {Panax  quinquefolium 
Linne). — Ginseng. 

Description. — An  herbaceous  perennial.  Root  large  and  sj)indle-shaped. 
Stem  1  foot  high,  bearing  at  its  summit  a  whorl  of  three  palmately  3-  to  7- 
foliate  leaves  and  a  single  umbel  ;  leaflets  obovate-oblong,  acuminate. 
Peduncle  naked,  slender,  aboutr  as  long  as  the  petioles  ;  flowers  yellowish- 
green,  appearing  in  July. 

Habitat. — Li  rich  upland  woods  from  Canada  to  the  mountains  of  the 
Southern  States. 

Parts  Jjsed. — Of  A  spinosa,  the  bai'k  ;  of  A.  racemosa,  A.  nudicaulis,  and 
A.  quinquefolia,  the  root.     None  of  the  plants  are  official. 

Constituents. — In  the  bark  of  A.  spinosa  have  been  found  two  acrid  res- 
ins, a  volatile  oil,  and  what  is  thought  to  be  an  uncrystallizable  alkaloid. 


ARALIA. 


157 


besides  common  vegetable  principles.  The  constituents  of  the  other  spe- 
cies are  unknown. 

Preparations. — Whatever  virtues  any  of  these  plants  possess  are  yielded 
to  boiling  water.  Fluid  extracts  of  two  or  three  of  them  occur  as  commer- 
cial articles. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — All  these  plants  possess,  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent,  aromatic  and  stimulant  properties,  and  probably  no  others, 
though  many  diverse  virtues  have  been  attributed  to  them.  A.  sj^inosa 
is  apparently  the  most  active.  A.  nudicaulis,  as  its  common  name  {iv/'ld 
sarsaparilla)  indicates,  was  formerly  supposed  to  partake  of  the  virtues  of 


Fig.  132 — Aralia  qninquefolia. 

true  sarsaparilla,  but  as  the  latter  plant  is  at  present  Uttle  esteemed,  the 
reputed  virtues  of  the  former  are  not  worthy  of  much  attention.  A.  qnin- 
quefolia (ginseng)  is  at  present  only  esteemed  by  the  Chinese,  who  consider 
it  a  panacea. 

As  remarked  above,  all  these  plants  are  aromatic  and  stimulant. 
Given  in  warm  infusion  they  are  capable  of  inducing  diaphoresis,  and  in 
this  manner  acting  beneficially  in  certain  cases,  as  chronic  rheumatism  and 
various  cutaneous  eruptions.  Doubtless  the  manner  in  which  the  drug  is 
administered  has  quite  as  much  to  do  with  the  effect  produced  as  any 
medicinal  property  of  the  drug  itself.  Hence  the  alterative  properties 
formerly  attributed  to  these  plants  have  httle  foundation  in  fact. 


158  COENACE^. 


CORNACE/E. 


Character  of  the  Order. — Shrubs  or  trees,  with  opposite  or  alternate, 
simple  leaves.  Calyx-tube  adherent  to  the  ovary,  its  limb  4-toothed,  Petals 
4,  valvate  in  the  bud.  Stamens  4,  inserted  with  the  petals  on  the  margin 
of  an  epigynous  disk.  Style  single  ;  ovary  1-celled,  each  cell  with  a  single 
suspended  ovule.     Fruit  a  1-  to  2-seeded  drupo. 

A  small  order,  represented  in  North  America  by  three  genera,  namely, 
Cornus,  Garry  a,  and  Nyssa,  the  first-named  alone  comprising  medicinal 
sx^ecies. 

CORNUS. — Cornel — Dogwood. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Parts  of  the  flower  as  in  the  character  of  the 
order.  Fruit  a  small  drupe,  with  a  2-celled,  2-seeded  stone.  Leaves  op- 
posite except  in  a  single  species.  Flowers  small,  in  open  naked  cymes, 
or  in  close  heads  surrounded  by  a  coroUa-like  involucre. 

Cornus  florida  Linne. — Flowering  Dogwood. 

DescrijMon. — Flowers  small,  greenish-yellow,  in  a  close  head  or 
cluster,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  showy  4-leaved  involucre.  Drupes 
bright  red. 

A  tree,  10  to  30  feet  high.  Leaves  opposite,  ovate,  pointed,  acute  at 
the  base.  Leaves  of  the  involucre  1  to  1^  inch  long,  white  or  pinkish,  ob- 
cordate,  or  with  a  callous  notch  at  the  apex.  The  flowers  appear  in  May 
and  June,  before  the  leaves  are  fully  developed,  and  with  their  showy  in- 
volucres render  the  tree  a  very  striking  object. 

Habitat. — In  woods  and  low  grounds  fi'om  Canada  to  Florida  and  west- 
ward ;  everywhere  common. 

Cornus  circinata  L'Her. — Round-leamd  Dogwood. 

Description.— Flowers  white,  in  open,  spreading  cymes,  without  an  in- 
volucre.    Drvipes  light  blue. 

A  shrub,  6  to  10  feet  high.  Leaves  opposite,  broadly  oval  or  orbicular, 
abruj)tly  acuminate,  4  to  5  inches  long,  2  to  5  inches  broad,  tomentose 
beneath.  The  cymes  are  rather  small,  but  numerous  ;  the  flowers  appear 
in  June,  after  the  leaves  are  pretty  well  developed. 

Habitat. — Shady  banks  of  streams  from  Canada  to  the  mountains  of 
Virginia  and  westward. 

Cornus  sericea  JAime.— Swamp  Dogivood,  Silky  Cornel. 

Description.— Flowers  white,  in  open,  spreading  cymes,  without  an  in- 
volucre.    Drupes  light  blue. 

A  shrub,  6  to  10  feet  high,  the  bark  greenish-purple  or  brownish- 
purple.  Leaves  ovate  or  elliptical,  consj)icuously  pointed,  the  lower  surface, 
as  well  as  the  petioles  and  smaller  branches,  silky-pubescent.  Cymes  close  ; 
the  flowers  appear  in  May  and  June. 


PLATE   V. 


CORNUS    FLORIDA. 


Plate  v.— Cornus  florida. 

Fig.  1. — Flowering  branch,  natural  i 
Fig.  2.— Single  flower,  enlarged. 


CORNUS CORNEL DOGWOOD.  161 

Habitat. — In  wet  places,  Canada  to  Georgia  and  westward. 

Part  Used. — The  bark  of  the  root  of  Cornus  florida — United  States 
Pharmacopoeia.  The  bark  of  all  the  species  is  employed,  though  that  of 
the  root  is  said  to  be  most  efficient. 

Constituents. — The  bark  of  the  official  species  has  a  bitter,  astringent, 
and  slightly  aromatic  taste.  Besides  the  ordinary  vegetable  princiiDles,  it 
contains  a  peculiar  bitter  principle,  termed  coriiin,  or  comic  acid,  to  which 
its  medicinal  virtues  are  probably,  in  a  great  measiu'e,  due.  Its  astringency 
is  due  to  a  small  percentage  of  gallic  and  tannic  acids.  The  other  species 
of  cornus  are  believed  to  contain  similar  principles. 

Preparatiojis. — Extractum  cornus  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  cornus. — 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  The  decoction  is  also  said  to  be  an  efficient 
preparation,  though  Professor  Maisch  observed  that  the  bitter  principle, 
when  in  aqueous  solution,  is  altered  and  destroyed  by  exposure  to  air 
and  heat.  The  bark  is  also  administered  in  powder.  A  commercial  ar- 
ticle occurs,  erroneously  termed  cornin,  which  is  prepared  by  evaporating 
an  aqueous  extract  or  by  precipitatinf;  an  alcoholic  tincture  with  water  ; 
it  is  said  to  be  much  less  efficient  than   he  official  fluid  extract. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Dogwood  is  tonic,  astringent,  and  slightly 
aromatic.  It  is  believed  to  be  the  best  indigenous  substitute  for  cinchona 
bark,  and  in  early  days  was  used  with  considerable  success  in  the  treat- 
ment of  miasmatic  fevers.  As  a  mild  tonic  in  convalescence,  in  simple  loss 
of  appetite,  and  in  debihty  of  the  digestive  organs,  it  is  also  said  to  act 
favorably. 


Division   II. — Monopetalous  Exogenous  Plants. 

Plants  with  both  caljrx  and  corolla,  the  latter  composed  of  petals  more 
or  less  united,  and  hence  termed  monopetalous. 

CAPRIFOLIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Shrubs  or  small  trees — rarely  herbs — with  op- 
posite, simple  or  compound  leaves.  Calyx-tube  adherent  to  the  ovary,  its 
limbs  4-  to  5-cleft  or  lobed.  Corolla  tubulai-,  urn-shaped  or  wheel-shaped, 
equally  or  unequally  4-  to  5-lobed.  Stamens  as  many  as  the  lobes  of  the 
corolla — sometimes  one  less — inserted  upon  its  tube.  Ovary  2-  to  5-celled  ; 
style  filiform,  somewhat  capitate,  sometimes  absent,  when  the  2  to  5  stig- 
mas are  sessile.     Fruit  a  berry,  drupe,  or  pod,  1-  to  many-seeded. 

An  order  rejDresented  in  North  America  by  seven  genei'a,  four  of  which 
comprise  medicinal  species. 


162  CAPRIFOLIACE^. 


DIEE,  VILLA.— Bush-Honeysuckle. 

Diervilla  trifida  Moencliausen. — Bush- Honeysuckle. 

Description. — Calyx-tube  attenuated  at  the  summit,  its  limb  5-parted, 
the  lobes  linear  or  awl-shaped,  persistent.  Corolla  funnel-formed,  the  limb 
5-cleft,  regular,  or  slightly  2-lipped,  greenish-yellow,  about  three-fourths; 
of  an  inch  long.  Stamens  5.  Ovary  2-celled  ;  stigma  peltate-capitate.  Pod 
ovoid-oblong,  pointed,  2-celled,  2-valved,  septicidal,  many-seeded. 

An  upright  shrub,  2  to  4  feet  high.  Leaves  2  to  4  inches  long,  oblong- 
ovate,  acuminate,  serrate,  on  short  petioles.  Peduncles  axillary  or  ter- 
minal, 1-  to  3-flowered.     The  flowers  appear  from  June  to  August. 

Habitat. — Kocky  woods  from  Canada  to  the  mountains  of  North  Caro- 
lina. 

Parts  Used. — The  root,  leaves,  and  twigs — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — It  is  commonly  employed  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Said  to  be  diuretic,  astringent,  and  altera- 
tive, and  to  have  been  used  successfully  in  nephritic  and  calculous  affec- 
tions, in  gonorrhoea,  and  inflammation  of  the  bladder  with  gravelly  deposit. 
If  it  were  not  also  said  to  be  curative  in  syphilis,  one  might  possibly  have 
some  faith  in  its  medicinal  virtue.  As,  however,  the  latter  statement  is  just 
as  authoritative  as  the  former,  the  whole  subject  is  left  in  doubt. 

TRIOSTEUM.  — Fe  VERWORT. 

Trieste um  perfoliatum  Linne. — Feverwort,  Horse- Gentian,  Wild 
Ipecac. 

Description. — Calyx-tube  ovoid,  its  limb  5-parted,  the  segments  linear- 
lanceolate,  leaf-like,  persistent.  Corolla  tubular,  somewhat  gibbous  at  the 
base,  almost  equally  5-lobed,  about  as  long  as  the  calyx,  brownish-purple. 
Stamens  5.  Ovary  commonly  3-celled,  with  a  single  suspended  ovule  in. 
each  cell ;  style  slender.     Fruit  a  rather  dry  drupe,  3-angled,  3-seeded. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  with  a  thick,  fleshy  root.  Stem  2  to  4  feet 
high,  stout,  simple,  softly  hairy.  Leaves  opposite,  cuneate  at  the  base,  4 
to  7  inches  long,  2  to  4  inches  wide,  oval  or  ovate,  acuminate,  abruptly 
narrowed  below,  hairy  above,  velvety-pubescent  beneath.  Flowers  axillary, 
sessile  or  nearly  so,  solitary  or  clustered,  appearing  in  June. 

Habitat. — In  rich  woodlands  from  Canada  to  the  mountains  of  North 
Carolina  and  westward. 

Part  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Triosteum  yields  its  virtues  to  water  and  alcohol,  and. 
may  be  administered  in  infusion  or  tincture. 


VIBURNUM ARROW- WOOD.  163 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  root  lias  a  disagreeable  odor  and  a 
bitter,  nauseous  taste.  It  is  cathartic  and  in  large  doses  emetic  ;  rai-ely 
used. 

SAMBUCUS.— Elder. 

Sambucus  Canadensis  Linne. — Common  Elder. 

Description. — Calyx  minutely  5-toothed,  the  teeth  at  length  obsolete. 
Corolla  urn-shaped,  the  lobes  obtuse,  widely  spreading.  Stamens  5. 
Stigmas  3.  Fruit  a  juicy,  berry-like  drupe,  containing  3  small  seed-like 
nutlets. 

A  shrubby  plant,  with  numerous  stems,  5  to  10  feet  high,  with  a  com- 
paratively large  pith.  Leaves  unequally  pinnate  ;  leaflets  7  to  11,  oblong 
or  oval,  acuminate,  serrate.  Flowers  numerous,  white,  in  compound 
cymes,  appearing  in  June.  Fruit  small,  dark  purple  or  black,  edible, 
though  having  a  taste  which  is,  to  most  people,  rather  disagreeable. 

Habitat. — In  thickets  and  along  neglected  fences  from  Canada  to  Flor- 
ida and  westward  ;  everywhere  common. 

Part  Used. — The  flowers — United  States  Pharmacopceia.  The  hemes, 
the  inner  bark  of  the  stem,  and  the  bark  of  the  root  are  also  employed,  but 
are  not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — Of  the  flowers  :  they  have  a  peculiar,  sweetish  odor  and 
a  bitterish  taste.  Uj)on  distillation  with  water  they  yield  a  peculiar  vola- 
tile oil  of  a  but}T.-aceous  consistence.  Of  the  berries  :  saccharine  matter 
and  malic  acid.  Of  the  bark  :  an  acid  identical  with  valerianic  acid,  be- 
sides common  vegetable  principles. 

Preparations.— '^one  are  olficial.  An  aromatic  water,  prepared  by  dis- 
tillation from  the  flowers  of  a  European  species,  is  official  with  the  British. 
The  inspissated  juice  of  the  berries  has  been  employed  medicinally,  and  a 
wine  made  by  fermenting  the  fresh  juice  is  considerably  used  in  some 
parts  of  the  country.     The  bark  is  commonly  employed  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Elder-flowers  are  said  to  be  slightly  sudor- 
ific ;  in  the  form  of  the  distilled  water,  their  only  use  is  as  a  fragrant  vehi- 
cle. The  berries  are  sometimes  used  in  jireparing  cooling  drinks  ;  they 
appear  to  have  no  special  medicinal  activity.  The  bark  and  root  are 
actively  cathartic  and  were  formerly  used  as  hydi-agogues. 

VIBURNUM.  —Arrow- WOOD. 

Character  of  the  Genus.— Calyx  5-toothed.  Corolla  rotate,  deeply  5- 
lobed.  Stamens  5.  Ovary  1-  to  3-celled  ;  one  of  the  cells  containing  an 
ovule,  the  others  abortive  ;  stigmas  3.  Fruit  a  1-celled,  1-seeded  drupe, 
with  a  thin  pulp  and  a  crustaceous,  somewhat  flattened  stone. 

Shrubs  or  small  trees,  with  simple,  undivided,  or  lobed  leaves.  Flowers 
white,  in  flat,  terminal,  compound  cymes  ;  the  marginal  flowers  sometimes 
sterile  or  radiant. 


16-4  CAPRIFOLIACE^. 

Viburnum  prunifolium  Linne. — Black  Haw. 

Description. — Flowers  all  alike,  fertile.  Fruit  oblong-ovoid,  compressed, 
bluisli-black,  glaucous,  sweet. 

A  shrub  or  small  tree,  8  to  20  feet  liigli.  Leaves  roundish-oval,  ovate 
or  obovate,  obtuse  or  abruptly  pointed,  finely  and  sharply  serrate,  bright 
green,  glabrous.     Cymes  numerous,  sessile,  appearing  in  May. 

Habitat. — In  dry  woods  and  thickets  from  Connecticut  to  Illinois  anl 
southward. 

Viburnum  Opulus  Linn^;. —  Cranherry  Tree,  High  Cranberry,  Cramp- 
Bark. 

Description. — Marginal  flowers  of  the  cymes  without  stamens  or  pistils, 
but  with  corollas  much  larger  than  those  of  the  fertile  flowers.  Fruit 
nearly  sj)herical,  half  an  inch  long,  bright  red,  of  a  pleasant  acid  taste,  re- 
sembling that  of  cranberries,  for  which  it  is  sometimes  substituted. 

A  shrub,  3  to  10  feet  high,  with  spreading  branches.  Leaves  3-lobed, 
3-ribbed,  the  lobes  acuminate,  toothed.  Cymes  3  to  4  inches  in  diameter. 
The  flowers  appear  in  May  and  June.  A  cultivated  variety  of  this  species, 
the  common  garden  snow-ball  bush,  has  all  its  floAvers  sterile. 

Habitat. — In  swamps  and  along  streams  from  Pennsylvania  northward  ; 
less  common  than  the  preceding. 

Part  Used. — The  bark  of  V.  prunifolium — United  States  Pharmacopceia. 
The  bai*k  of  V.  Opulus  has  also  been  employed,  and  is  said  to  act  like  that 
of  the  official  species. 

Constituents. — Analysis  of  V.  prunifohum  has  shown  the  presence  of  a 
brown  resinous  body  of  a  very  bitter  taste,  a  greenish-yellow  resin,  or  neutral 
principle,  also  bitter,  termed  viburnin,  valerianic  acid,  tannin,  and  other 
unimportant  vegetable  constituents.  V.  Opulus  probably  joossesses  similar 
constituents. 

Preparations. — Extractum  viburni  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  viburnum. — 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  There  are  commercial  fluid  extracts  of  \, 
Opulus. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Both  these  sj^ecies  of  viburnum  are  said 
to  be  antispasmodic,  nervine,  astringent,  and  tonic,  and  to  act  specifically 
upon  the  uterus.  V.  prunifolium  is  especially  praised  as  a  uterine  sedativi :■, 
and  is  considered  by  many  veiy  efficient  in  threatened  abortion  and  ii) 
dysmenorrhoea.  The  author  has  experimented  with  it  to  a  considerable 
extent,  but  with  very  unsatisfactory  results.  He  has  employed  it  in  many 
cases  of  threatened  abortion,  enjoining  at  the  same  time  absolute  rest  in 
the  recumbent  position,  but  never  with  any  good  effect  which  could  b 
f airly  attributed  to  the  drug.  He  has  never  been  able  to  discover  that  ^"f 
restrains  hemorrhage  or  abates  any  of  the  ordinary  symptoms  of  threat- 
ened abortion.  He  has  observed,  however,  that  to  many  patients  it  is  in- 
tensely disagreeable,  not  unfrequently  exciting  nausea  and  vomiting,  and 
thus  directly  contributing  to  bring  about  the  result  which  it  was  intended 


MLAI  t    VI. 


VIBURNUM    PRUNIFOLIUM. 


Plate  VI. — Viburnum  prunifolium. 

Fig.  1. — Flowering  branch. 

Fig.  2. — Calyx  and  pistil 

Fig.  3  —Corolla  and  stamens— all  natural 


GALIUM BEDSTRAW CLEAVERS.  167 

to  avert.  With  its  use  in  dysmenorrlioea  he  has  had  less  experience,  but, 
so  far  as  it  goes,  tending  only  to  confirm  him  in  the  opinion  that  viburnum, 
as  a  uterine  sedative,  has  been  much  oven-ated. 


RUBIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Orc?en— Shrubs  or  herbs,  with  opposite  leaves  con- 
nected by  stipules,  or  with  leaves  in  whorls  without  apparent  stipules. 
Calyx  adherent  to  the  ovary.  Corolla  3-  to  5-lobed,  inserted,  together  with 
the  same  number  of  stamens,  upon  the  calyx-tube.  Ovary  2-  to  4-celled. 
Fruit  various. 

A  large  order,  comprising  many  important  plants,  among  them  the 
coffee  and  cinchona  trees,  but  represented  in  North  America  by  only  a  few 
comparatively  unimportant  genera. 

GALIUM.— Bedstraw.  — Cleavers. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx- teeth  obsolete.  Corolla  commonly  4- 
parted,  rarely  3-parted,  wheel-shaped,  valvate  in  the  bud.  Stamens  as  many 
as  the  lobes  of  the  corolla.  Styles  2.  Fruit  globular,  dry  or  fleshy,  sepa- 
rating at  maturity  into  two  indehiscent,  seed-like  carpels,  each  containing 
a  single  seed. 

Slender  herbs,  with  square  stems,  whorled  leaves,  and  small  axillary 
or  terminal  cymose  flowers.  The  roots  frequently  contain  red  coloi-ing 
matter. 

Galium  Aparine  Linne. — Cleavers,  Goose-Grass. 

Description. — Flowers  axillary,  on  1-  to  2-flowered  peduncles,  white. 
Fruit  large,  bristly  with  hooked  prickles. 

An  annual  herb,  with  a  weak,  reclining  stem,  bristly  with  recurved 
prickles.  Leaves  in  whorls  of  about  8,  lanceolate,  tapering  at  the  base, 
short-pointed,  rough  on  the  margins  and  mid-rib.  It  flowers  from  May  or 
June  forward. 

Habitat. — Common  in  shady  thickets  and  margins  of  woods.  The 
plant  is  indigenous  to  Europe,  but  whether  introduced  or  indigenous  here 
is  not  known. 

Galium  triflorum  Michaux. — Sweet-scented  Bedstimv. 

Description. — Flowers  axillary,  on  3-flowered  peduncles,  greenish. 
Fruit  hispid  with  hooked  bristles. 

An  herbaceous  perennial.  Stem  reclining  or  procumbent,  bi-istly  or 
hispid  backward  upon  the  angles.  Leaves  in  whorls  of  6,  ellif)tical- 
lanceolate,  bristle-pointed,  1-veiued,  the  margins  commonly  roughened. 
It  flowers  in  June  and  July. 

Habitat. — Moist  and  rich  woodlands  thi'oughout  the  United  States  and 
Canada. 


168  RUBIACEyE. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — not  official.  The  roots  of  several  species  of 
galium  were  used  by  the  aborigines  as  dye-stuffs. 

Constituents. — These  and  several  other  species  of  galiuiu  contain  either 
galitannic  or  asjjei'tannic  acid,  together  with  other  organic  acids,  a  bitter 
principle,  and  common  vegetable  principles.  G.  triflorum  contains  also  cou- 
inarin,  to  which  its  fragrant  odor  is  due. 

Preparations. — There  are  commercial  fluid  extracts  of  some  of  the 
species,  but  when  used  at  all  the  plants  are  commonly  administered  in 
decoction  or  in  the  form  of  the  recently  expressed  juice. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Galium  Aparine  is  diuretic  and  refrig- 
erant. It  has  been  used  in  many  diseases  of  the  urinary  organs,  in  scaly 
affections  of  the  skin,  and  in  cancer,  with  asserted  benefit.  G.  triflorum 
acts  in  a  similar  manner,  but  as  it  contains  coumarin,  it  might  also  be  ex- 
pected to  exert  some  influence  upon  the  nervous  system. 

CEPHALANTHUS.  —Button-Bush. 

Cephalanthus  occidentalis  Linne. — Button-Bush. 

Description. — Calyx-tube  inversely  pyramidal,  the  limb  4-toothed. 
Corolla  tubular,  slender,  its  limb  4-cleft,  the  lobes  erect,  imbricate  in  the 
bud.  Stamens  4,  style  filiform,  exserted  ;  stigma  capitate.  Fruit  dry, 
inversely  pjrramidal,  2-  to  4-celled,  separating  from  the  base  to  the  summit 
into  2  to  4  closed,  1-seeded  portions. 

A  shrub,  3  to  10  feet  high.  Leaves  opposite  or  ternate,  oval  or  lanceo- 
late, pointed,  3  to  5  inches  long.  Flowers  densely  aggregated  in  close  glo- 
bose heads,  axillary  or  terminal,  appearing  in  July  and  August. 

Habitat. — Margins  of  swamps  and  in  wet  places,  Canada  and  the 
United  States. 

Part  Used. — The  bark — not  official. 

Constituents, — Cephalanthus  contains  tannin,  an  uncrystallizable  bitter 
principle,  a  principle  analogous  to  saponin,  two  resins,  and  common  veg- 
etable principles. 

Preparations. — The  virtues  of  the  bark  are  yielded  to  water  and  alcohol, 
and  hence  it  may  be  administered  in  infusion  or  tincture. 

Medical  Projjerties  and  Uses. — Like  nearly  all  vegetable  substances  pos- 
sessing bitterness,  this  has  been  employed  with  asserted  success  in  inter- 
mittent and  remittent  fevers.  It  has  not,  however,  attained  an  established 
reputation,  and  its  medicinal  virtues  are  altogether  problematical. 

MITCHELL  A.  — Partridge-Berky. 

Mitchella  repens  Linne. — Partridge-Berry,  Squaiv-Berry. 

Description. — Flowers  in  pairs  with  ovaries  united.  Calyx  4-toothed. 
Corolla  funnel-formed,  with  a  slender  tube,  its  limb  4-lobed,  the  lobes 
spreading,  densely  bearded  inside  with  white  hairs.     Stamens  4,  inserted 


MITCHELL  A PARTRIDG  E-BERRY.  1 69 

in  the  throat  of  the  corolla.  Style  filiform  ;  stigmas  4.  Friiit  baccate, 
bright  red,  composed  of  the  united  ovaries  of  both  flowers,  each  of  which 
contains  4  small  horny,  1-seeded  nutlets.     It  is  edible  but  insipid. 

A  small  creeping,  evergreen  herb.  Stems  slender,  *,  to  12  inches  long, 
branching  and  rooting  at  the  joints  and  becoming  matted  upon  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground.  Leaves  one-half  inch  long,  opposite,  roundish,  dark 
green  and  shining,  generally  marked  with  a  central  longitudinal  Une  of  a 
lighter  color,  of  a  coriaceous  texture.  Flowers  of  two  kinds,  one  with 
stamens  exsei'ted  and  style  included,  the  other  with  style  exserted  and 
stamens  included  ;  these  different  kinds  of  flowers  occur  in  different  j^lants. 
The  flowers  are  white,  about  one-half  inch  long,  and  though  generally  Avith 
theu'  parts  in  fours,  not  unfrequently  have  them  in  fives,  or  even  in  sixes  ; 
they  are  produced  in  June.     The  whole  plant  turns  black  in  drying. 

Habitat. — In  moist  woods,  about  the  roots  of  trees,  often  forming  a 
vivid  green  matting,  variegated  in  autumn  by  the  bright  red  berries,  the 
latter  often  persisting  till  sj)ring.     Everywhere  common. 

Jr*art  Used. — The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — It  is  administered  in  infusion  or  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  medical  properties  of  this  plant  are 
altogether  problematical.  It  is  said  to  be  astringent,  diuretic,  and  partu- 
rient. Squaws  are  said  to  use  a  decoction  of  it  for  some  weeks  previous 
to  their  parturition,  in  order  to  render  their  delivery  safe  and  easy  ;  white 
women  sometimes  use  slipj)ery  elm  for  the  same  purpose,  and  probably 
with  about  the  same  amount  of  benefit. 

COMPOSIT/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Flowers,  relatively  small,  collected  in  a  dense 
head  upon  a  common  receptacle  and  surrounded  by  an  involucre  of  bracts, 
the  whole  resembling  a  single  flower,  and  termed  by  the  older  botanists 
compound.  The  separate  flowers  :  calyx-tube  coherent  with  the  ovary,  its 
limb,  termed  papjms,  composed  of  bristles,  plumose  hairs,  scales,  or  even 
minute  leaflets,  though  sometimes  absent  entix'ely  or  reduced  to  a  mere 
margin.  Corolla  usually  composed  of  5  united  petals,  either  ligulate  or 
tubular.  Stamens  5,  rarely  fewer,  their  anthers  linear  and  united  into  a 
tube,  sometimes  Avith  an  aj^pendage  at  the  top  or  at  the  base.  Ovary  1- 
celled,  1-ovuled  ;  style  in  tlie  fertile  flowers  2-cleft,  the  lobes  often  fur- 
nished with  hairs  for  collecting  pollen,  the  stigmatic  surfaces  in  the  form  of 
elevated  lines  along  the  inner  margins.  Fruit  an  achenium  crowned  with 
the  paj^pus. 

A  very  large  order  of  herbs,  rarely  shiiibs  or  trees,  comprising  about 
one-tenth  of  the  flowering  plants  of  the  world.  The  flowers  occur  in  many 
different  forms.     When  all  of  them  are  perfect  the  head  is  said  to  be 


170  COMPOSITE. 

homogamous ;  when  the  marginal  ones  are  pistillate  or  neuter  and  the 
others  are  perfect  or  staminate,  the  head  is  termed  heterogamous.  The 
flowers  with  a  strap-shaped  (ligulate)  corolla  are  termed  rays,  or  ray-Jloiv- 
ers  ;  and  when  these  are  present  the  head  is  termed  radiate.  A  head 
composed  entirely  of  tubular  flowers  is  termed  discoid,  and  tubular 
flowers  occupying  the  centre  of  a  radiate  flower  make  what  is  called  the 
disk.  In  some  cases  the  staminate  and  jjistillate  flowers  are  upon  different 
individuals — then  the  plant  is  dioecious.  The  receptacle  is  paleaceous  or 
chaffy  when  covered  with  membranaceous  scales,  and  naked  when  destitute 
of  them. 

To  indicate,  even  in  the  most  general  way,  the  medicinal  character  of 
such  an  immense  order  of  plants  is  well-nigh  impossible.  It  will  suffice  tr 
say  that  very  many  of  them  possess  tonic  properties,  few  are  aromati  . 
most  are  disagreeable,  and  none  are  poisonous. 

LIATRIS.— Button  Snakeroot. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Heads  few-  or  many-flowered  ;  flowers  all 
tubular,  perfect.  Scales  of  the  involucre  few  or  many,  imbricate,  ap- 
pressed.  Keceptacle  naked.  Corolla  5-lobed,  the  lobes  usually  elongated. 
Branches  of  the  style  much  exserted,  roundish  or  somewhat  flattened,  ob- 
tuse. Achenia  round,  slender,  tapering  to  the  base,  10-ribbed.  Pappus 
of  10  to  40  plumose  or  barbeUate  bristles. 

Perennial  herbs,  with  simple  stems  and  tuberous  roots.  Leaves  alter- 
nate, usually  lanceolate  or  linear,  entire,  with  a  rigid  margin,  often  resin- 
ous-dotted. Heads  in  an  elongated  spike  or  raceme,  sometimes  panicu- 
late, rarely  cymose  ;  flowers  showy,  rose-jiurple,  rai-ely  j^ale  or  white. 

Liatris  spicata  Willdenow. — Button  Snakeroot,  Devil's  Bit,  Colic  Boot. 

Description. — Heads  8-  to  12-flowered,  one-fourth  to  one-half  inch  long, 
sessile,  in  an  elongated  sj^ike  ;  involucre  cyHndrical-campanulate,  obtuse 
at  the  base,  the  numerous  scales  appressed,  obtuse,  punctate,  and  with 
narrow,  scarious,  purplish  margins,  the  inner  ones  oblong,  the  outer  ovate 
or  oval.     Pappus  densely  barbeUate  ;  achenia  hairy. 

Stem  erect,  3  to  5  feet  high,  smooth,  leafy,  proceeding  from  a  roundisl; 
corm  or  tuber.     Leaves  very  numerous,  hairy  on  the  veins  beneath,  j^un.- 
tate,  those  of  the  stem  linear,  diminishing  in  length  from  below  upwar 
the  radical  ones  also  linear,  but  very  long. 

Habitat. — In  moist  ground  from  Southern  New  York  to  Wisconsin  aril 
southward. 

Liatris  odoratissima  "Willdenow. —  Vanilla  Plant,  Deer's  Tongue. 

Description. — Heads  small,  4-  to  10-flowered,  in  a  panicle  or  corymb  ; 
scales  of  the  involucre  few,  slightly  imbricated,  spatulate-oblong.  Corolli 
lobes  short,  ovate.     Pappus  minutely  barbeUate,  not  plumose. 

Stem  simple  or  branched  above,  2  to  4  feet  high,  from  a  short  rhizom  , 
not  tuberous.     Leaves  thick,  somewhat  glaucous,  the  radical  ones  obovat 


LIATRIS. BUTTON-    SNAKEKOOT.  171 

spatulate,  tapering  at  the  base,  often  slightly  and  obtusely  toothed,  the 
upper  ones  oblong,  clasping.  The  flowers  are  bright  pui-ple  and  appeal-  in 
September  and  October. 

Habitat. — In  pine  barrens  from  Virginia  southward. 

These  two  species  are  described,  since  they  represent  the  marked  char, 
acteristics  of  the  genus.  Several  other  species  are  or  have  been  employed 
medicinally,  but  they  do  not  differ  materially  in  effect  from  L.  spicata. 

Parts  Used.—Oi  L.  spicata,  the  root — not  official ;  of  L.  odoratissima, 
the  leaves — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  rhizomes  contain  volatile  oil  and  resin.  The  leaves 
of  L.  odoratissima  contain  coumarin. 

Preparations. — Fluid  extracts  and  tinctures  of  L.  spicata  occur  as  com- 
mercial articles,  while  L.  odoratissima  is  emj^loyed  in  substance  only. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses.— Jj.  spicata  is  one  of  the  numerous 
"  snakeroots  "  or  remedies  for  snake-bites.  It  probably  possesses  no  anti- 
dotal properties  whatever,  and  the  beneficial  effects  attributed  to  it  are 
doubtless  due  to  the  diaj)horesis  induced  by  the  administration  of  large 
quantities  of  hot  decoction.  As  the  drug  possesses  stimulating  properties 
a  diajDlioretic  effect  is  readily  induced  in  this  manner,  but  there  is  every 
reason  to  doubt  its  efficacy  in  cases  of  venomous  snake-bites.    * 

L.  odoratissima  deserves  much  more  attention  from  the  fact  that  it  is 
largely  used  as  an  adulterant  of  smoking  tobacco,  than  from  any  demon- 
strated medicinal  vii'tues.  There  is  abundant  evidence  to  show  that  the 
leaves  of  this  plant  enter  largely  into  the  manufacture  of  many  grades  of 
smoking  tobacco,  especially  those  employed  in  our  domestic  cigarettes. 
And  the  author  is  convinced,  from  personal  experience  and  observation, 
that  the  deleterious  effects  produced  b}'  smoking  tobacco  thus  adulterated 
are  much  greater  than  those  produced  by  the  consumption  of  pure  tobacco 
in  even  great  excess.  The  inhalation  of  a  few  whiffs  of  the  smoke  from 
a  cigarette  made  of  this  adulterated  material,  provided  the  inhalations  are 
made  in  quick  succession,  produces  a  train  of  cerebral  sensations  of  an 
intoxicating  character  as  much  different  from  any  effect  of  tobacco  alone 
as  could  be  imagined  ;  and  j)rolonged  use  of  such  cigarettes  invariably 
produces  great  derangement  of  the  digestive  organs,  very  little  resembling 
the  dyspepsia  induced  by  excessive  use  of  tobacco,  together  with  cardiac 
symptoms  often  of  a  distressing  character.  And  again,  the  habit  of  smok- 
ing coumarin  in  this  form  aj^i^ears  to  become  more  inveterate,  more  ex- 
acting, than  that  of  the  use  of  tobacco  alone,  so  that  the  unhappy  victim — 
for  such  he  should  be  called — is  never  comfortable  excejot  when  indulging. 
Hence  it  happens  that  cigarette-smoking  in  this  country,  in  its  effects 
upon  adolescents  especially,  is  assuming  the  proportions  of  a  great  na- 
tional evil,  and  is  producing  far  more  deleterious  effects  than  in  other 
countries  where  it  is  practised  to  a  greater  extent  but  with  different  ma- 
terial. 


172  COMPOSITE. 


EU  P  ATORIUM.  — Thoroughwort. 


Character  of  the  Genus. — Heads  few-  or  many -flowered  ;  flowers  all  tu- 
bular, perfect.  Involucre  cylindrical  or  campauulate,  the  scales  imbri- 
cated in  two  or  more  series,  or  sometimes  nearly  equal  in  a  single  series. 
Keceptacle  flat  or  slightly  convex,  naked.  Corolla  5-toothed.  Anthers 
included.  Branches  of  the  style  mostly  exserted.  Achenia  5-angled. 
Pappus  a  single  series  of  capiUary  bristles,  scabous  or  minutely  serrulate. 

Perennial  herbs,  with  opposite,  rarely  alternate  or  whorled  leaves. 
Heads  generally  corymbose  ;  flowers  purple,  blue,  or  white.  Leaves  and 
flowers  often  resinous-dotted, 

Eupatorium  perfoliatum  Linne. — Thoroughwort,  Boneset. 

Description. — Heads  10-  to  15-flowered,  white,  in  a  large  compound 
corymb.  Scales  of  the  involucre  12  to  15,  very  pubescent,  glandular,  im- 
bricated ;  the  inner  ones  linear-lanceolate,  with  scarious  tips,  Achenia 
glabrous  or  minutely  glandular. 

Stem  stout,  2  to  4  feet  high,  very  pubescent  or  hirsute,  corymbosely 
branched  above.  Leaves  lanceolate,  opposite,  united  at  the  base  about  the 
stem  so  as  to  appear  perfoliate,  tapering  to  a  slender  point,  obtusely  ser- 
rate, veiny,  wrinkled,  the  lower  surface  tomentose-pubescent  and  resinous- 
dotted.     It  flowers  late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  low  grounds.  United  States  and  Canada  ;  everywhere 
common, 

Eupatorium  purpureum  Linne, — Joe-Pye  Weed,  Trumjyet-Weed, 
Gravel-Boot. 

Descrijition. — Heads  cylindrical,  5-  to  15-flowered,  purple,  in  a  dense 
compound  corymb.  Scales  of  the  involucre  numerous,  piu'plish,  obtuse, 
slightly  striate,  closely  imbricated  in  several  series,  the  outer  short, 
Achenia  glabrous  and  more  or  less  glandular. 

Stem  stout,  3  to  7  or  more  feet  high,  simple,  pubescent  or  glabrous. 
Leaves  3  to  6  in  a  whorl,  oblong-ovate  or  lanceolate,  pointed,  veiny, 
scabrous  or  glabrous  above,  somewhat  pubescent  beneath,  serrate,  resin- 
ous-dotted.    It  flowers  from  July  forward. 

Habitat. — In  low  gTouuds,  United  States  and  Canada ;  everywhere 
common. 

These  two  species  fairly  represent  the  medicinal  activity  of  the  genus  ; 
many  other  species  jDOssess  similar  properties. 

Parts  Used. — Of  E.  perfoliatum,  the  leaves — United  States  Pharmaco- 
poeia ;  of  E.  purpureum,  the  root — not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — ^The  official  species  contains  a  large  percentage  of  a  pecu- 
liar bitter  extractive,  to  which  its  therapeutic  effects  are  attributed,  but 
whose  chemical  character  is  as  yet  undetermined.  The  constituents  of  E, 
l^ui-pureum  have  not  been  ascertained. 


TUSSIL  AGO  — COLTSFOOT. 


173 


Preparations. — Of  E.  perfoliatum  :  Extractum  eupatorii  fluidum — fluid 
extract  of  eupatorium — United  States  Pharniacoiyaia.  The  infusion  and 
decoction  are  efficient  preparations,  and  are  most  commonly  einployed. 
Of  E.  purpureum  there  are  commercial  fluid  extracts,  but,  as  with  the  other 
species,  it  is  most  commonly  administered  in  decoction  or  infusion. 

Medical  Projxrties  and  Uses. — Of  domestic  remedies  few  are  better 
known  or  moi-e  largely  used  than  boneset.  It  is  tonic,  diaphoretic,  emetic, 
and  cathartic,  the  different  eftects  depending  lai'gely  upon  the  size  of  the 
dose  and  mode  of  administra- 
tion. The  infusion,  taken  cold 
in  moderate  doses,  is  tonic,  and 
is  employed  in  debility  of  the 
digestive  organs  and  in  conva- 
lescence. Taken  warm  in  large 
doses,  the  infusion  or  decoction 
produces  copious  diaphoresis, 
and  is  employed  in  the  acute 
stages  of  catarrhal  affections  and 
in  fevers,  especially  those  of  an 
intermittent  or  remittent  type. 
In  still  larger  doses  the  warm 
infusion  or  decoction  produces 
emesis  or  catharsis  ;  these  effects 
are,  however,  seldom  sought. 

E.  purpureum,  or  gravel-root, 
is  said  to  be  diuretic  and  to  have 
been  employed  in  vu'inary  aifec- 
tions,  but  it  has  not  attained  an 
established  reputation  and  is 
seldom  used. 

TUSSIL  AGO.  —Coltsfoot. 

Tussilago  Farfara  Linne. 

— Coltsfoot . 

Description. — Heads  radiate,  many-flowered  ;  ray-flowers  numerous, 
narrowly  ligulate,  pistillate,  fertile,  in  many  rows,  bright  yellow  ;  tubular 
disk-flowers  few,  staminate.  Scales  of  the  involucre  oblong,  obtuse,  nearly 
in  a  single  row.  Receptacle  flat,  naked.  Style  abortive  in  the  disk-flow- 
2rs,  2-cleft  in  the  ray-flowers,  the  branches  nearly  round.  Achenia  of  the 
ra3^-flowers  cylindrical-oblong,  smooth  ;  in  the  disk,  abortive.  Pappus 
capillary,  copious  in  the  ray-flowers,  in  a  single  series  in  the  disk. 

A  perennial  herb,  with  a  rather  thick  rhizome.  Stems  simple,  often 
gi-o\ving  in  tufts,  erect,  about  6  inches  high,  woolly  and  scaly,  1-flowered. 
Leaves  aU  radical,  appearing  after  the  flowers,  cordate,  angular-toothed, 


Fia.  133.— Tussilago  Farfara. 


1 74  COMPOSITE. 

petioled,  3  to  5  inches  in  diameter  when  fully  grown,  smoothish  above, 
whitish  and  tomentose  beneath.  Heads  of  flowers  solitary,  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  appearing  in  March  and  April. 

Habitat. — In  wet  places  and  along  brooks.  New  England,  New  York, 
and  Pennsylvania.     Introduced  from  Europe. 

Fa7't  Used. — The  entire  plant,  but  chiefly  the  leaves — not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — Bitter  and  mucilaginous  principles. 

Freparntions. — It  is  commonly  employed  in  decoction. 

Bledical  Properties  and  Uses. — Coltsfoot  is  demulcent  and  slightly  tonic. 
It  has  been  employed  chiefly  in  chronic  pulmonary  diseases. 

ERIGEROX.  — Fleabane. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Heads  radiate,  many-flowered,  mostly  hemi- 
spherical ;  ray-flowers  very  numerous,  usually  in  more  than  one  series,  jdIs- 
tillate  ;  disk-flowers  tubular,  perfect,  the  outer  ones  sometimes  filiform  and 
tmncate,  pistillate.  Scales  of  the  involucre  narrow,  nearly  equal,  slightly 
imbricated,  in  a  single  or  double  series.  Receptacle  flat,  naked.  Achenia 
flattened,  usually  j)ubescent,  and  with  2  lateral  nerves.  Pappus  a  single 
series  of  capillary  bristles,  often  with  smaller  ones  intermingled,  or  with 
an  outer  series  of  minute  bristles  or  chaffy  scales. 

Herbs,  with  entire,  toothed  or  lobed  leaves.  Heads  solitary,  corymbose 
or  paniculate.     Disk-flowers  yellow  ;  rays  white,  blue,  or  purple. 

Erigeron  Philadelphicum  Linne  {E.  purpureum  Alton). — Philadel- 
2ohia  Fleabane,  Common  Fleabane. 

iJescrvption. — Heads  rather  small,  corjanbose  ;  rays  very  numerous  and 
very  narrow,  pale  reddish-pui-jDle  or  flesh-color,  more  than  twice  the  length 
of  the  involucre.     Achenia  minutely  hairy  ;  pappus  simjole. 

Stem  hair}^  slender,  1  to  3  feet  high.  Leaves  numerous,  thin,  the 
lower  spatulate,  crenate-dentate,  the  upper  oblong,  clasping,  and  mostly 
cordate  at  the  base,  entire  or  slightly  serrate.  It  blooms  in  summer.  A 
quite  variable  species. 

Habitat. — Woodlands  and  fields  ;  common  everywhere. 

Erigeron  annuum  Persoon  {E.  heterophijllum  Muhlenberg,  K  stri- 
gosiim  Bigelow). — Daisy  Fleabane,  Siveet  Scabious. 

Description. — Heads  corymbose  ;  rays  very  numerous,  nearly  or  quite 
in  a  single  row,  narrow,  white  or  tinged  with  jDurjjle,  not  twice  the  length 
of  the  involucre.  Pappus  double,  the  outer  a  series  of  chaffy  scales,  the 
inner  of  scanty  capillary  bristles  which  are  deciduous,  or  sometimes  want- 
ing in  the  ra^'s. 

An  annual  or  biennial  herb.  Stem  stout,  3  to  5  feet  high,  corymbosely 
branched  above,  hairy.  Leaves  coarsely  and  sharply  serrate,  the  lower 
ovate,  obtuse,  tapering  into  a  margined  petiole,  the  upper  ovate-lanceolate, 
acute  and  entire  at  both  ends.     It  blooms  in  summer. 

Habitat. — Fields  and  waste  places  ;  everywhere  common. 


SOLID  AGO GOLDEN-ROD.  175 

Erigeron  Canadense  Linne, — Canada  Fleahane,  Horse-Weed,  Batter- 
Weed. 

Description. — Heads  very  numerous,  small,  cylindrical,  panicled  ;  raya 
numerous,  inconspicuous,  shorter  than  the  involucre.     Pappus  simple. 

Stem  erect,  3  to  5  feet  high,  panicled  above,  hispid  or  sometimes  nearl}^ 
glabrous.  Leaves  lanceolate-linear,  mostly  entire,  hispidly  ciliate  ;  radical 
leaves  cut-lobed.     It  blooms  from  July  till  late  in  the  autumn. 

Habitat. — A  common  and  unsightly  weed,  widely  diffused  over  the 
world. 

These  three  species  fairly  represent  the  whole  genus,  though  several 
others  have  been  employed  medicinally. 

Parts  Used.  —The  leaves  and  toj^s — not  official,  though  they  were  for- 
merly. 

Constituents. — All  these  species  of  erigeron  when  distilled  with  water 
yield  volatile  oil,  E.  Canadense  producing  a  greater  proportion  than  the 
others,  and  an  article  of  slightly  different  character.  Among  their  other 
constituents  are  tannic  and  gallic  acids  and  bitter  extractive. 

Preparations. — Among  the  commercial  preparations  are  solid  and  fluid 
extracts.  The  plants  are  most  commonly  administered  in  decoction  or  in- 
fusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — There  is  probably  little  diffei-ence  in  the 
kind  of  effect  produced  by  the  different  species  of  erigeron,  but  it  is  gen- 
erally admitted  that  E.  Canadense  is  most  active.  This  is  considered  diu- 
retic, tonic,  and  astringent.  It  has  been  used  beneficially  in  diseases  of  the 
urinary  organs  and  in  dropsies.  The  oil  is  said  to  be  useful  in  uterine, 
pulmonary,  and  other  internal  hemorrhages. 

SOLIDAGO.— Golden-Rod. 

Solidago  odora  Alton. — Sweet-scented  Golden-Rod. 

Descrijition. — Heads  few-flowered,  radiate  ;  raj's  3  or  4,  rather  large, 
oblong,  obtuse,  pistillate  ;  disk-flowers  tubular,  pei-fect.  Scales  of  the  in- 
volucre oblong,  acute,  destitute  of  foliaceous  tips,  the  outer  ones  shorter 
and  imbricating  the  others.  Keceptacle  small,  not  chaffy.  Achenia  many- 
ribbed,  somewhat  terete.  Pappus  simple,  of  numerous  scabrous  capillary 
bristles. 

Stem  slender,  2  to  3  feet  high,  smooth  or  slightly  pubescent  below, 
pubescent  above.  Leaves  linear-lanceolate,  entire,  reticulate-veiny,  but 
only  the  mid-vein  distinct,  rough  on  the  margin,  otherwise  smooth  and 
shining,  pellucid-dotted.  Heads  in  racemose,  one-sided  panicles,  appear- 
ing in  September. 

Habitat. — In  the  margins  of  thickets  and  in  old  fields,  in  sandy  soil, 
from  Maine  and  Vermont  to  Kentucky  and  southward. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  tops — not  official. 


176  COMPOSITE. 

Coiislilucnl.:. — A  fragrant  volatile  oil. 

Preparations. — Infusion,  decoction,  and  volatile  oil. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Golden-rod  is  gently  stimulant,  diapho- 
retic, and  carminative.  The  decoction  and  warm  infusion  are  used  in  do- 
mestic practice  to  produce  diaphoresis,  to  relieve  colic,  and  to  promote 
menstruation.     The  oil  is  used  for  similar  purposes. 

Other  species  of  solidago  have  been  employed  medicinally,  but  none  of 
them  are  as  agreeable  as  this. 

GKINDELIA. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Heads  many-flowered  ;  rays  pistillate,  in  a 
single  series  ;  disk-flowers  tubular,  perfect.  Involucre  hemispherical  or 
sub-globose,  the  numerous  scales  imbricated  in  several  series.  Receptacle 
flat,  minutely  pitted.  CoroUa  of  the  ray  elongated  ;  of  the  disk,  tubular- 
infundibuliform,  5-toothed.  Achenia  obovate  or  oval,  somewhat  angled, 
glabrous.  Pappus  of  2  to  8  rigid  bristles  or  awns,  which  are  early  de- 
ciduous. 

Perennial  or  biennial  herbs  (rarely  sufl'ruticose),  with  branching  stems. 
Leaves  entire  or  serrate,  somewhat  pellucid-  or  reticulate-punctate  ;  the 
radical  ones  usually  spatulate,  cauline,  sessile  or  j)artly  clasping.  Heads 
solitary  at  the  summit  of  the  bi^anches  ;  flowers  yellow.  The  heads,  in^ 
eluding  the  involucres,  are  commonly  thickly  coated  with  a  glutinous  or 
resinous  varnish. 

Grindelia  robustaNuttall. 

Description. — Heads  large,  many-flowered.  Involucre  leafy  at  the  base, 
the  scales  produced  into  recurved-squarrose,  subulate-linear  appendages  ; 
pappus  of  2  to  5  bristles. 

Stem  stout,  1^  foot  high,  branching.  Leaves  oblong,  obtuse,  coarsely 
serrate,  cordate-clasping,  1^  to  2  inches  long.  The  entire  plant  glabrous. 
A  variable  species. 

Habitat. — Common  along  the  Pacific  coast. 

Grindelia  squarrosa  Dunal. 

Description. — Heads  smaller  than  the  preceding  ;  the  involucre  about 
one-half  inch  in  diameter.  Scales  with  recurved-squarrose  or  mostly  cii'- 
cinate,  subulate  tips  ;  pappus  of  2  to  4  bristles. 

Stem  rather  slender,  10  to  20  inches  high,  corymbosely  branched.. 
Leaves  oblong-lanceolate,  or  spatulate,  finely  serrate,  the  uj^per  entire, 
somewhat  clasping. 

Habitat. — Common  on  the  dry  plains  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Several  other  species  of  grindelia  resemble  those  above  described  in. 
general  appearance  and  probably  in  constituents  also. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  flowering  tops  of  G.  robusta — official 
title,  Grindelia —  United  States  Pharmacoi^csia.     G.  squarrosa  is  believed  to 


IITULA ELECAMPANE. 


177 


be  nearly  if  not  quite  as  efficacious  as  the  official  species,  and  the  two  arc 
often  found  mixed  in  commerce. 

Constituents. — As  remarked  above,  the  flower-heads  of  plants  of  this 
genus  are  commonly  coated  with  a  glutinous  or  resinous  varnish.  The 
same  substance  is  more  or  less  diffused  in  the  stems  and  leaves,  and  con- 
tains the  active  principles,  namely,  a  peculiar  volatile  oil  of  a  terebinthi- 
nate  odor,  resin,  and  a  crystalline  body  having  an  alkaline  reaction. 

Preparations. — Extractum  grindeliae  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  grindelia. 
—  United  States  Pharmacojyoeia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  therapeutic  effects  of  gi'indelia  ap- 
pear, in  many  respects,  to  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  those  of  turpen- 
tine. In  moderate  doses  it  stimulates  the  mucous  membranes,  and  has 
been  found  very  beneficial  in  chronic  catarrhal  affections,  especially  those 
of  the  respiratoi'y  tract  and  urinary  organs.  Very  lai-ge  doses  have  occa- 
sioned renal  irritation.  It  also  acts  to  some  extent  as  an  antispasmodic, 
and  has  proved  efficacious  in  spasmodic  asthma  and  in  whooping-cough, 
especially  when  complicated  with  bronchitis. 

Externally  the  fluid  extract  of  G.  squaiTOsa  has  been  recommended  as 
a  cure  for  rhus-poisoning,  but  the  author,  from  j^ersonal  experiment,  has 
become  convinced  that  it  acts  here  merely  as  a  protective  coating  to  the 
skin  by  virtue  of  its  resin,  and  that  it  possesses  no  directly  curative  prop- 
erty. The  fluid  extract  of  the  official  species  is  quite  as  efficacious,  as  is 
also  any  other  resinous  var-  a     v      i\ 

nish  which  has  no  acrid  prop-  M^\3^;i3^^^^W'  / ' 

erties.  Such  applications  are, 
however,  unpleasant  to  the 
patient,  since  they  discolor 
the  skin  and  limit  the  motion 
of  the  parts  affected. 

INULA. —Elecampane. 

Inula  Helenium  Linne. 
— Elecampane. 

Descr  ip  t  i  o  n. — Heads 
large,  many-flowered,  radi- 
ate ;  rays  numerous,  in  a  sin- 
gle series,  pistillate,  some- 
times sterile  ;  disk-flowers 
tubular,  perfect.  Scales  of 
the  involucre  imbricate  in 
several  series,  the  outer  broadly  ovate,  foliaceous  ;  the  inner  obovate-spatu- 
late,  obtuse.  Keceptacle  flat,  or  somewhat  convex,  naked.  Achenia  4- 
«ided,  glabrous.     Pappus  simf)le,  of  capillary,  slightly  scabrous  bristles. 


Fig.  134.— Inula  Helenium. 


178  COMPOSITE. 

A  stout  perennial,  3  to  5  feet  high.  Leaves  large,  velvety-tomentose 
Ijeneatb,  denticulate,  the  radical  ones  ovate,  tapering  to  a  petiole,  the  cau- 
line  ones  j^artly  clasping.  Heads  solitary  at  the  summit  of  corymbose  pe- 
duncles, yellow,  a]3pearing  late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — A  native  of  the  Eastern  Continent,  but  naturalized  here, 
growing  along  roadsides  and  in  waste  places. 

Part  Used. — The  root—  United  States  Pharmacopoiia. 

Constituents. — A  little  volatile  oil,  an  acrid  resin,  a  bitter  principle, 
■waxy  matter,  and  inulin,  the  last-named  being  a  substance  somewhat  re- 
sembling starch. 

Preparations. — It  is  generally  administered  in  decoction,  though  there 
are  commercial  extracts,  etc. 

Medical  Prop)erties  and  Uses. — Elecampane  was  formerly  considered 
diaphoretic,  diuretic,  expectorant,  and  emmenagogue,  but  at  present  it  is. 
little  esteemed  except  among  the  laity.  It  is  probably  stimulant  and  tonic, 
and  given  in  hot  decoction  caj)able  of  producing  some  of  -the  effects  attrib- 
uted to  it. 

AMBROSIA.— Rag-Weed. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Sterile  and  fertile  flowers  in  different  heada 
upon  the  same  plant,  the  former  in  spikes  or  racemes  and  the  latter  in  the 
axils  of  the  leaves  or  at  the  base  of  the  sterile  racemes  or  spikes.  Sterile 
heads  of  5  to  20,  funnel-form,  staminate  flowers  ;  involucre  flatfish  or  top- 
shaped,  of  7  to  12  scales  united  into  a  cup.  Fertile  flowers :  involucre 
globose-ovoid,  oblong  or  turbinate,  closed,  pointed,  usually  armed  with  4 
to  8  tubercles  or  horns  in  a  single  series,  1-flowered.  Achenia  ovoid  ;  pap- 
pus absent. 

Herbs,  or  rarely  shrubby  plants,  with  opposite  or  alternate,  lobed  or 
dissected  leaves,  and  inconspicuous  greenish  or  yellowish  flowers. 

Ambrosia  trifida  Linne. — Great  Rag-Weed. 

Description. — Sterile  heads  in  single  or  panicled  racemes  or  spikes,  the 
involucre  regular,  3-ribbed.  Fruit  with  a  conical-pointed  apex,  6-ribbed, 
the  ribs  terminating  in  cristate  tubei'cles. 

Stem  stout  and  hairy,  4  to  12  feet  high.  Leaves  rough  and  hairy, 
deeply  3-lobed,  the  lobes  oval-lanceolate,  serrate,  acuminate.  An  annual, 
blooming  in  August  or  September. 

Habitat. — In  low  rich  grounds  and  along  streams  from  Canada  to  Geor- 
gia and  westward. 

Ambrosia  arte misiaefo I ia  Linne.— 7?ar/-TT'eefZ,  Hog-Weed. 

Desci'iption. — Sterile  heads  like  the  preceding,  but  with  the  involucre 
not  ribbed.  Fertile  flowers  solitary  or  clustered  toward  the  base  of  the  sterile 
spikes  or  racemes,  or  in  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves.  Fruit  globose  or 
obovoid,  nearly  glabrous,  pointed,  armed  with  6  short  acute  spines  or 
teeth. 


HELIAKTIIUS SUNFLOWER.  179 

An  finnual  braDcliiug  herb,  1  to  3  feet  high,  haiiy  or  roughish-pubes- 
cent.  Leaves  bipiunatifid,  the  uppermost  simply  piuuatifid,  smoothish  or 
glabrous  above,  paler  or  whitish  beneath. 

Habitat. — In  waste  places  everywhere ;  a  most  pestiferous  weed. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  tops — not  official. 

Constituents. — Both  species  have  a  disagreeable  odor  and  an  aromatic 
bitter  taste.  The  leaves  of  A.  trifida  are  readily  eaten  by  some  of  the  do- 
mestic animals,  but  the  other  species  appears  to  be  too  disagreeable.  Their 
constituents  have  not  been  ascertained. 

Preparations. — They  are  commonly  used  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — These  plants  are  said  to  bo  stimulant, 
tonic,  and  astringent.  A  decoction  has  been  used,  chiefly  in  domestic  prac- 
tice, as  a  topical  astringent  in  chronic  catarrhal  affections. 

Of  late  years  A.  artemisicefolia  has  attracted  considerable  attention  on 
account  of  its  real  or  assumed  agency  in  the  production  of  hay-fever.  The 
plant  produces  pollen  in  great  abundance,  which  is  extremely  irritating  to 
the  air-passages  of  many  people,  and  is  capable  of  exciting  asthmatic  at- 
tacks in  susceptible  persons.  Now  as  the  weed  is  so  very  abundant,  and 
its  time  of  flowering  coincident  with  the  greatest  development  of  hay-fevei*, 
the  relation  of  cause  and  effect  has  been  asserted  by  many  writers.  That 
it  may  be  so  in  a  certain  proportion  of  cases  is  quite  probable,  but  that  its 
influence  in  this  direction  has  been  overrated  is  still  more  probable.  The 
pollen  of  all  plants  is  irritating  to  the  air-jjassages  of  sensitive  j^eople,  but 
probabh^  little  more  so  than  any  other  dust  of  an  organic  character  ;  and 
the  proportion  which  rag-weed  pollen  in  the  air  of  any  specified  locality 
bears  to  that  of  all  other  plants  combined  must  be  very  small  indeed. 
Much  less  still  must  its  proportion  be  to  other  pollen  and  oi-ganic  dust 
in  the  au'  of  cities,  where  this  affection  has  become  endemic — and  fashion- 
able. 

HELIANTHUS.  —Sunflower. 

Helianthus  annuus  Linne. — Common  Sunfloxw.r. 

Description. — Heads  large,  many-flowered,  radiate  ;  the  raj'S  numerous, 
neutral,  yellow  ;  the  disk-flowers  brownish,  perfect.  Scales  of  the  invo- 
lucre with  foliaceous  tips,  imbricated  in  3  or  more  series.  Eecej)tacle 
broad  and  flat,  with  persistent  chatl'  which  embraces  the  4-angled,  flattened 
achenia.  Pappus  veiy  deciduous,  of  2  chaffy  scales  on  the  principal 
angles  of  the  achenium,  often  with  two  or  more  smaller  intermediate  ones. 

A  tall  rough  annual  herb,  in  common  cultivation.  Leaves  alternate, 
triple-ribbed,  ovate,  or  the  lower  cordate. 

Habitat. — The  sunflower  is  a  native  of  tropical  America,  but  has  long 
been  cultivated  hei'e  and  is  sj)aringly  naturahzed  in  waste  places. 

Many  of  the  indigenous  species  of  helianthus  are  but  little  less  strik- 
ing than  this  in  appeai-ance,  and  possess  similar  pi'operties. 


ISO  COMPOSITE. 

Part  Used. — The  seed— not  official. 

Constituents. — A  large  percentage  of  bland  fixed  oil. 

Preparations. — The  oil. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Sunflower  seeds  are  said  to  be  diuretic 
and  expectorant,  but  there  is  little  reason  for  believing  them  actively 
medicinal. 

HELENIUM.  —Sneeze-Weed. 

Helenium  autumnale  Linnc. — Sneeze-Weed. 

Description. — Heads  many-flowered,  radiate  ;  the  rays  several,  in  a 
single  series,  3-  to  5-cleft  at  the  summit,  fertile,  yellow,  reflexed  soon 
after  expansion.  Involucre  small,  reflexed,  the  scales  linear  or  awl-shaped, 
in  2  series.  Keceptacle  convex,  globose,  or  oblong,  naked.  Achenia  top- 
shajied,  ribbed.     Pappus  of  5  to  8  membranous,  1-nerved  scales. 

An  erect,  nearly  smooth  perennial  herb.  Stem  1  to  3  feet  high,  angled, 
branching.  Leaves  lanceolate,  toothed,  decurrent  on  the  stems  and 
branches.     Heads  corymbed,  showy,  appearing  in  September. 

Habitat. — In  moist  places  along  streams  ;  common  everywhere. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  flowers — not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Used  in  powder  or  decoction. 

Iledical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  common  name  of  the  plant  indicates 
the  popular  estimation  of  it.  The  powdered  flowers  jDarticularly  have  been 
used  as  an  errhine,  and  a  decoction  is  said  to  be  tonic  and  diaphoretic. 

MARUTA,— May-Weed. 

Maruta  Cotula  De  Candolle. — Alay-Weed,  Wild  Chamomile. 

Descrip)tion. — Heads  many-flowered,  radiate  ;  rays  neutral,  white,  soon 
reflexed ;  disk-flowers  tubular,  perfect.  Involucre  hemispherical,  the 
scales  imbricated,  shorter  than  the  disk,  with  whitish  margins.  Eecepta- 
cle  conical,  chaffy  throughout,  or  only  at  the  summit.  Achenia  obovoid, 
ribbed,  glabrous.     Pappus  none. 

An  annual,  one-half  to  one  foot  or  more  in  height.  Leaves  tripin- 
nately  divided,  the  ultimate  segments  very  naiTowly  linear.  Heads  solitary, 
terminating  the  branches.    It  flowers  from  midsummer  till  late  in  autumn. 

Habitat. — Common  everywhere  in  waste  places. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — formerly  official  ;  it  was  dropjDed  from  the 
Pharmacopoeia  in  1880. 

Constituents. — Volatile  oil,  tannic,  valei'ianic,  and  oxalic  acids,  bitter  ex- 
tractive, etc. 

Preparations. — Commonly  employed  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — May-weed  has  a  very  disagreeable  odor, 
and,  when  fresh,  a  bitter,  acrid  taste.  Therapeutically  it  acts  like  chamo- 
mile but  is  much  less  agreeable.     It  is  seldom  used  except  by  the  laity. 


ACHILLEA YARROW. 


181 


ANTHEMIS.— Chamomile. 


Anthemis  nobilis  Linne. — Chamomile. 

Description. — Heads  and  flowers  as  in  maruta,  except  that  the  rays  are 
pistillate.  Acheuia  terete,  striate,  or  smooth.  Pappus  none,  or  a  minute 
crown. 

A  perennial,  somewhat  downy  herb.  Leaves  1-  to  2-pinnately  divided, 
the  ultimate  segments  as  in  maruta  but  fewer  and  more  compact. 

Habitat. — Chamomile,  a  native  of  Europe,  has  been  long  cultivated  in 
gardens  here,  and  has  become  naturalized  to  a  very  limited  extent  in  New 
Jersey  and  Delaware. 

Part  Used. — The  flowers — official  name,  Anthemis — United  States  Phar- 
macopoeia. 

Constituents 
constituents. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.      It  is  most  commonly  employed  in 
infusion  or  decoction.     The  volatile  oil  and 
an  extract  are  official  in  Britain. 

Medical  Proj^erties  and  Uses. — Chamomile 
is  a  mild  stimulant  and  tonic,  and  one  par- 
ticularly suited  to  debility  of  the  digestive 
organs.  The  warm  infusion  is  frequently 
used  as  a  diaphoretic,  and,  in  large  doses, 
as  an  emetic.  Fomentations  of  chamomile 
are  employed  as  a  soothing  application  in 
sprains,  bruises,  colic,  abscesses,  and  local 
pains  generally. 


-Volatile   oil,  a  bitter  principle,   and  common  vegetable 


ACHILLEA.— Yarrow. 


-  Yar- 


Achillea    Millefolium    Linne. 
row,  3Iilfoil. 

Description. — Heads  many-flowered,  ra- 
diate ;  the  rays  4  or  5,  fertile,  white,  rarely 
rose-colored.  Involucre  oblong,  the  scales 
imbricated.  Receptacle  chaffy,  flatfish. 
Achenia  oblong,  flattened,  margined.  Pap- 
pus none. 

A    perennial   herb,    1    to   3    feet    high. 
Leaves  oblong  or  linear  in  outline,  bipin- 
nately  parted,  the  ultimate  divisions  3-  to  5-cleft,  crowded.     Heads  in  a 
compound,  flat-topped  corymb,  appearing  throughout  the  summer. 

Habitat. — Fields  and  waste  places  ;  everywhere  common. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — not  official. 


Fig.  135.— Achillea  Millefolium. 


182 


COMPOSITE. 


Constituents. — A  volatile  oil,  a  bitter  principle  termed  achillein,  and 
common  vegetable  constituents. 

Preparations. — Infusion,  expresssd  ju.ice,  and  volatile  oil. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Yarrow  is  said  to  be  stimulant,  tonic,  and 
astringent,  and  to  exert  a  special  influence  upon  the  pehic  organs.  It 
has  been  employed  in  digestive  disorders,  in  menstrual  irregularities,  in 
hemorrhages  due  to  relaxed  conditions  of  mucous  membranes,  in  catarrhal 
affections,  etc. 


TAN  ACETUM.  —Tansy. 


Tanacetum  vulgare  Linnc. — Tajistj. 

Description. — Heads  many-flowered,  nearly  discoid,  all  fertile  ;  the  mar- 
ginal flowers  in  a  single  series,  3-  to  4-toothed.  Scales  of  the  involucre 
imbricated,  dry.     Beceptacle  convex,  naked.     Achenia  angled  or  ribbed 

with  a   large    epigynous   disk. 
Pappus  minute  or  none. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  2 
to  3  feet  high.  Leaves  nearly 
glabrous,  bipinnately  parted, 
the  segments  cut  -  toothed. 
Heads  yellow,  in  a  dense  cor- 
ymb, aj3j)earing  in  summer. 

Habitat.  —  Indigenous  to 
Europe,  but  freely  naturalized 
about  dwellings  and  in  waste 
places. 

Parts  Used.  —  The  leaves 
and  tojDS — United  States  Phar- 
macopceia. 

Constituents. — A  volatile  oil, 
a  bitter  principle  termed  tan- 
acetin,  and  common  vegetable 
constituents. 

Preparations. — The  infusion 

Fig.  136.— Tanacetum  Vulgare.  and  volatile  oil. 

Iledical  Projyerties. — Tansy  has  a  peculiar  strong  fragrant  odor  and  a 
warm,  bitter,  somewhat  acrid  and  aromatic  taste.  It  is  commonly  employed 
in  domestic  practice  to  stimulate  menstruation.  The  oil  ajDpears  to  be 
largely  used  as  an  abortifacient,  and  there  are  upon  record  numerous  cases 
in  which  it  has  been  used  for  this  purpose  with  fatal  effect.  The  bruised 
leaves  are  often  applied  locally  for  the  relief  of  colic  pains,  bruises,  sprains, 
etc.  A  spirituous  infusion  is  sometimes  employed  in  domestic  practice  in 
intermittent  fever. 


GN  APHALIUM — CUD-WEED.  1 8  S 


ARTEMISIA.  — WoRJTWOOD. 


Character  of  the  Genus. — Heads  ^lany-flo^vered,  discoid  ;  flowers  all 
tubular,  the  marginal  ones  pistillate,  though  sometimes  all  are  pei'fect. 
Scales  of  the  involucre  imbricated,  with  slightly  scarious  margins.  Re- 
ceptacle small,  naked.  Achenia  obovate,  rounded  or  narrow  at  the  top ; 
pappus  none. 

Herbs  or  shrubs,  with  small  heads  in  panicled  spikes  or  racemes  ;  flow- 
ers yellow  or  purplish. 

A  genus  comprising,  in  North  America,  a  large  number  of  species,  few 
of  which,  however,  have  been  employed  medicinally.  All  of  them  possess, 
to  a  gx-eater  or  less  extent,  bitter  and  aromatic  properties.  The  species 
described  below,  though  not  indigenous,  well  represents  the  medicinal 
virtues  of  the  genus. 

Artemisia  Absinthium  Linno. —  Wormivood. 

Description. — Marginal  flowers  jiistillate;  the  others  perfect.  Heads 
numerous,  densely  clustered,  hemispherical,  nodding,  yellow.  Stem  some- 
what shrubby,  2  to  4  feet  high,  branching,  silky-hoary.  Leaves  2-  to  3- 
pinnately  parted,  the  lobes  lanceolate,  obtuse. 

Habitat. — Indigenous  to  the  Eastern  Continent,  but  long  cultivated  and 
sparingly  naturalized  here. 

Fai'ts  Used. — The  leaves  and  tops — United  Slates  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — Volatile  oil,  a  bitter  principle  termed  absinthin,  and  com- 
mon vegetable  constituents  such  as  tannin,  starch,  gum,  etc. 

Preparations. — Wormwood  enters  into  the  official  Vinum  Aromaticum,. 
but  there  are  no  official  preparations  of  the  plant  itself.  It  is  generally 
employed  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Wormwood  is  stimulant  and  tonic.  It 
has  been  employed  chiefly  in  debility  of  the  digestive  organs,  as  atonic  and 
flatulent  dyspepsia.  The  volatile  oil  of  wormwood  in  large  doses  produces 
great  cerebral  disturbance  with  epileptiform  convulsions,  and  may  even 
cause  death.  It  is  seldom  or  never  employed  medicinally,  but  enters  into 
the  composition  of  a  French  Uqueur  called  absinthe. 

Externally  fomentations  of  wormwood  are  often  used  in  bruises,, 
sprains,  etc. 

GN  APHALIUM.  —Cud-Weed. 

Gnaphalium  polycephalum  Michaux. — Common  Everlasting. 

Description. — Heads  many-flowered,  all  tubular  ;  the  outer  pistillate, 
very  slender,  generally  in  several  series  ;  the  central  perfect.  Scales  of  the 
involucre  ovate  and  oblong,  rather  obtuse,  whitish.  Receptacle  flat,  naked. 
Achenia  terete.     Pappus  a  single  series  of  rough,  capillary  bristles. 

An  erect,  woolly  herb,  1  to  2  feet  high.     Leaves  lanceolate,  tapering  at 


184  COMPOSITE. 

the  base,  with  undulate  margins,  nearly  glabrous  above,  woolly  tomentose 
beneath.  Heads  clustered  at  the  summit  of  the  paniculate-corymbose 
branches,  ovate-conical  before  expansion,  then  obovate  ;  corolla  whitish  or 
yellowish.  It  flowers  in  August  and  September,  the  mature  heads  remain- 
ing a  long  time  on  the  stem.     The  whole  plant  is  fragrant. 

Habitat. — In  woods  and  old  fields  ;  everywhere  common. 

Parts  Used. — The  flowers  and  tops — not  official. 

Constituents. — A  bitter  principle  and  a  little  volatile  oil. 

Preparations. — Used  in  infusion. 

Medical  Pro'perties  and  Uses. — Said  to  be  tonic.  Used  in  catarrhal  af- 
fections. 

Several  other  indigenous  and  exotic  species  possess  similar  properties. 

ERECHTHITES.  —Fire- Weed. 

Erechthites  hieracifolia  Kafinesque.— i^iVe^-TFeec?. 

Description. — Heads  many-flowered  ;  flowers  all  tubular  and  fertile,  the 
outer  pistillate,  slender,  the  inner  perfect.  Scales  of  the  cylindrical  invo- 
lucre in  a  single  series,  linear,  acute,  with  a  few  bracteoles  at  the  base. 
Receptacle  naked.  Achenia  oblong,  striate,  tapering  to  the  apex.  Pappus 
copious,  of  fine  capillary  bristles. 

An  erect,  coarse,  and  often  hairy  annual,  1  to  5  feet  high.  Leaves  alter- 
nate, lanceolate-oblong,  acute,  unequally  and  sharply  cut-toothed,  sessile  ; 
the  upper  often  auricled  at  the  base.  Heads  corymbose  ;  flowers  whitish, 
appearing  from  July  to  September. 

Habitat. — Common  in  recent  clearings,  often  covering  ground  which 
has  been  burned  over  almost  to  the  exclusion  of  other  plants. 

Part  Used. — The  flowering  tops — not  official. 

Constituents. — Fire-weed  has  a  peculiar  aromatic  and  somewhat  dis- 
agreeable odor,  and  a  pungent,  bitterish  taste.  It  yields  a  volatile  oil  of 
similar  odor  and  taste,  upon  which  its  medicinal  virtues  are  believed  to 
depend. 

Preparations. — Volatile  oil  and  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Fire-weed  is  said  to  be  tonic,  astringent, 
and  alterative,  and  to  exert  a  special  influence  upon  the  mucous  sm-faces. 
It  has  been  highly  praised  as  a  remedy  for  dysentery. 

SENECIO.  —Groundsel 

Senecio  aureus  Linne. — Golden  Ragwort,  Squaxo-Weed. 

Description. — Heads  many-flowered,  radiate  ;  rays  8  to  12,  pistillate, 
golden  yellow ;  disk-flowers  perfect.  Scales  of  the  involucre  in  a  single 
series,  with  a  few  bracteoles  at  the  base.  Receptacle  flat,  naked.  Achenia 
glabrous.     Pappus  of  numerous  soft  and  slender  capillary  bristles. 


LAPPA — BURDOCK. 


185 


A  perennial  herb,  1  to  2^  feet  high.  Eatlical  leaves  orbicular  or  round- 
ish-ovate, mostly  cordate,  creuate-serrate,  petiolate ;  the  lower  cauhue 
lyrate,  the  upj^er  lanceolate,  cut-pinnatifid,  sessile  or  partly  clasping. 
Heads  in  an  umbel-like  corymb,  appearing  in  May  and  June.  A  vexy  va- 
riable species. 

Habitat. — In  swamps,  marshes,  and  wet  places  ;  common  eveiywhere. 

Pai-t  Used. — The  entire  plant — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Frepa)-ations. — Commonly  employed  in  decoction.  There  are  commer- 
cial fluid  extracts  and  a  so-called  senecin. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Said  to  be  diaphoretic,  diuretic,  tonic,  and 
emmenagogue.     Considerably  used  and  praised — by  eclectics. 

Several  other  species  of  senecio  are  said  to  possess  similar  properties. 


LAPPA.  —Burdock. 

Lappa  officinalis  AUioni. — Burdock. 

Description. — Heads  many-flovrered ;  the  flowers  aU  tubular,  perfect, 
the  corolla  regularly  5-cleft,  10- 
nerved.  Involucre  globular,  the 
imbricated  scales  coriaceous  and 
appressed  at  the  base,  subulate 
and  spreading  above,  tipped 
with  a  hooked  appendage.  Re- 
ceptacle flat,  fleshy,  and  some- 
what bristly.  Achenia  oblong, 
compressed,  glabrous,  wrinkled 
transversely.  Pappus  of  numer- 
ous short  rough  bristles,  not 
united  at  the  base,  deciduous. 

A  coarse,  ill-scented,  bien- 
nial herb,  1  to  4  feet  high. 
Lower  leaves  very  large,  cor- 
date, slightly  undulate  on  the 
mai-gins,  more  or  less  tomen- 
tose  beneath,  smoother  above  ; 
the  upper  ovate.  Heads  rela- 
tively small,  solitary  or  some- 
what corymbose  ;  flowers  pur- 
ple, vax-ying  to  white,  appear- 
ing from  July  to  autumn. 

Habitat. — Introduced  from  Europe  ;   common  in  waste  places  every- 
where. 

Parts  Used. — The  root — United  States  Pharmacopceia.     The  seeds  are 
also  employed,  but  are  not  official. 


Fig.  137.— I.appa  officinalis. 


18G 


COMPOSITE, 


Constituents. — Inulin,  a  bitter  principle,  and  common  vegetable  con- 
stituents. 

Preparations. — Commonly  employed  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Burdock,  though  chiefly  used  by  the 
laity,  is  highly  esteemed  by  some  of  the  profession  as  a  diuretic  and  altera- 
iive.  It  is,  joerhaps,  more  frequently  used  in  rheumatism  than  in  any 
■other  disease,  but  is  also  recommended  in  chronic  cutaneous  diseases,  ca- 
tarrhal affections,  syphilis,  and  scrofula.  In  the  form  of  an  ointment  or 
liniment  it  is  used  as  an  application  to  burns,  ulcers,  etc. 

CICHORIUM.  —Chicory. 


Cichorium  I nty bus  Linn e.—C/wcor^/,  Succory. 

Description. — Heads  several-flowered  ;  the  flowers  all  ligulate,  perfect. 
Involucre  double,  the  inner  of  8  to  10  scales,  the  outer  of  5,  half  as  long, 

spreading.  Achenia  oblong,  smooth 
or  sHghtly  ribbed.  PajDpus  of  numer- 
ous short  chaify  scales  forming  a 
crown. 

A  branching  perennial  herb,  2 
to  3  feet  high,  with  a  large  deej)  root. 
Leaves  alternate,  oblong  or  lanceolate, 
partly  clasping,  the  lower  lyrately  run- 
ciuate  ;  those  of  the  rigid  flowering 
branches  minute.  Heads  sessile,  2 
or  3  together,  axillary  and  terminal. 
Flowers  bright  blue  or  purple,  aj^pear- 
ing  from  July  to  October. 

Habitat. — Indigenous  to  the  East- 
ern Continent,  but  naturalized  here, 
growing  along  roadsides  and  in  waste 
places. 

Part  Used. — The  root— not  official. 
Constituents. — Inulin,  a  bitter  jDrin- 
ciple,  and  ordinary  vegetable  constit- 
uents. 

Preparations. — Commonly  used  in 
infusion. 
Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Chicory  is  said  to  increase  the  appetite 
and  aid  digestion.  Though  formerly  used  medicinally,  it  is  of  importance 
now  merely  as  an  adulterant  of  coffee.  For  this  purpose  the  root  is  roasted 
and  gi'ound  in  the  same  manner  as  coffee,  with  which  it  is  afterward  mixed 
in  lai-ge  proportion.  When  thus  treated  chicory  in  infusion  has  a  bitter- 
ness, possibly  somewhat  resembling  that  of  coffee,  but  it  is  wholly  desti- 


FiG.  138.— Cichorium  Intybus. 


]Sr  AB  ALUS R  ATTLESISr  AKE-ROOT.  187 

tute  of  the  aromatic  flavor  of  the  latter  ;  and,  moreover,  infusion  of  chicory 
does  not  produce  the  agreeable  stimulation  of  coffee,  and  altogether  serves 
as  a  very  poor  substitute  for  it. 

HIER  ACIUM.  — Ha  WK- Weed. 

Hieracium  venosum  Linne. — Rattlesnake- Weed. 

Description. — Heads  small,  about  20-flowei'ed  ;  the  flowei'S  all  ligulate, 
perfect.  Livolucre  cylindrical,  the  inner  scales  in  a  single  series,  the  outer 
few  and  short.  Achenia  linear.  Pappus  a  single  series  of  tawny,  fragile, 
and  rough  capillary  bristles. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  or  scape  1  to  2  feet  high,  naked  or  with  a 
single  leaf,  smooth  and  slender,  forking  above  into  a  diffuse  corymb. 
Radical  leaves  obovate  or  sjjatulate-oblong,  entire  or  obscurely  denticu- 
late, slightly  petioled,  smooth  and  pale,  often  purplish  and  glaucous  be- 
neath, with  purplish  veins,  the  margins  and  often  the  under  side  of  the 
mid-vein  hairy.     Flowers  yellow,  appearing  from  May  to  July. 

Habitat. — In  dry  soil,  especially  in  pine  regions  ;  common. 

Part  Used. — The  entire  plant — not  official. 

Constituents.  — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Infusion  and  expressed  juice. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Said  to  be  tonic,  astringent,  and  ex- 
pectorant, and  to  be  an  antidote  to  the  bites  of  poisonous  serpents.  Little 
of  a  positive  character  is  known  of  it. 

NAB  ALUS. — RattlesxaivE-Root. 

Nabalus  albus  Hooker. —  White  Lettuce,  Rattlesnalce-lloot. 

Description. — Heads  G-  to  12-flowered  ;  the  flowers  all  ligulate  and 
perfect.  Involucre  of  about  8  scales,  purplish.  Achenia  short,  linear- 
oblong,  striate.  Pappus  copious,  of  cinnamon-colored,  rough  capillary 
bristles. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  smooth  and  glaucous,  2  to  4  feet  high,  corym- 
bose-panicled  at  the  summit.  Leaves  angulate  or  triangular-halberd-form, 
sinuate-toothed,  or  3-  to  5-cleft  ;  the  uppermost  oblong  and  undivided. 
Flowers  pendulous,  greenish-white  or  jourplish,  appearing  in  autumn.  The 
■whole  plant  abounds  in  a  milky  juice. 

Habitat. — Open  grounds  and  borders  of  woods  ;  common  in  the  North- 
ern States  and  Canada. 

Part  Used. — The  entire  plant — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Infusion  and  expressed  juice. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  entire  i^lant  has  a  bitter  taste,  which 
is  most  intense  in  the  root.  On  this  account  it  has  been  employed  as  a 
tonic  in  domestic  practice.  The  fresh  juice  is  considered  vulnerary  and  has 
been  applied  to  wounds,  especially  to  snake-bites. 


188 


LOBELIACE^. 


TARAXACUM.  —Dandelion. 

Taraxacum  Dens-leonis  Desfontaines. — Dandelion. 
Deacrvption. — Heads  many-flowered  ;  flowers  all  ligulate,  perfect.     In- 
volucre double  ;  the   outer  of  small  short  scales,  reflexed  ;  the   inner  of 
longer  erect  scales.     Eeceptacle  naked.     Achenia  terete,  oblong,  ribbed, 

the  apex  prolonged  into  a  slen- 
der beak.  Pappus  copious,  of 
long,  white,  capillary  bristles. 
A  biennial  or  perennial 
herb,  with  a  long,  deep  root. 
Leaves  all  radical,  oblong  or 
lanceolate,  nearly  entu-e,  or 
sinuate-toothed  or  runcinate. 
Scapes  slender,  hollow,  bearing 
a  single  head  of  yellow  flow- 
ers. It  blooms  throughout  the 
spring  and  summer. 

Habitat.- — Common  every- 
where. 

Fart  Used.  —  The  root — 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — A  bitter  prin- 
ciple termed  taraxacin,  inulin, 
resin,  saccharine  matter,  and 
common  vegetable  constitu- 
ents. 

Preparations.  —  Extractum 
taraxaci  —  extract  of  taraxa- 
cum ;  extractum  taraxaci  flu- 
idum — fluid  extract  of  taraxacum. —  United  States  Pharmacopceia.  The  ex- 
pressed juice  and  decoction  are  also  employed. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Taraxacum  is  slightly  tonic,  diuretic,  and 
aperient.  It  is  supposed  to  act  especially  upon  the  liver,  and  is  used  chiefly 
in  dyspepsia  associated  with  torpor  of  this  organ. 


. — Taraxacum  Dens-leonis. 


LOBELIACE/E. 


Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  with  milky  juice,  and  alternate,  exstip- 
ulate  leaves.  Calyx  adherent  to  the  ovary,  commonly  5  lobed.  Corolla 
irregularly  5-lobed,  often  deeply  cleft.  Stamens  5,  fi'ee  from  the  corolla, 
and  united  into  a  tube,  commonly  by  their  filaments,  but  always  by  their 
anthers.  Style  1 ;  stigma  often  fringed.  Fruit  capsular,  1-  or  more-celled, 
opening  at  the  top  ;  seeds  numerous. 


LOBELIA. 


189 


An  order  comprising  many  plants  possessed  of  acrid  and  narcotic  prop- 
erties.    Kepresented  in  North  America  by  the  genus 


LOBELIA. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  5-cleft,  with  a  short,  variously  shaped 
tube.  Corolla-tube  slit  along  the  upper  side  ;  the  limb  divided  into  2 
lips,  the  upper  with  2  erect  lobes,  the  lower  spreading,  3-cleft.  Two  of 
the  anthers  bearded  at  the  top.  Pod  2-ceUed,  many-seeded.  Annual  or 
perennial  herbs.     Flowers  axillary  or  in  bracted  racemes. 

Lobelia  inflata  Liune. — Indian  Tobacco. 

Description. — Calyx  without  auricles  at  the  sinuses.  Corolla  small,  pale 
blue.     Pod  inflated. 

An  annual  or  biennial  herb.  Stem  angled  or  striate,  paniculately 
branched,  9  to  18  inches  high,  pubes- 
cent. Leaves  ovate  or  oblong,  the 
upper  ones  diminishing  iuto  leaf-like 
bracts.  Flowers  small,  in  racemose 
spikes,  appearing  from  midsummer 
to  autumn. 

Habitat.  —  Common  along  road- 
sides and  in  old  fields,  generally  in 
dry  soil. 

Lobelia  syphilitica  Linne. — 
Great  Lobelia. 

Description. — Calyx  hairy,  half 
the  length  of  the  corolla,  the  sinuses 
auriculate,  its  tube  hemispherical. 
Corolla  much  larger  than  in  the  pre- 
ceding species,  blue,  varying  to  white. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  simple, 
1  to  3  feet  high,  somewhat  hairy, 
leafy  to  the  top.  Leaves  thin,  acute 
at  both  ends,  ii-regularly  serrate. 
Flowers  crowded  in  a  dense  spike  or 
raceme,  appearing  late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  moist  places  ;  common. 

Lobelia  cardinalis  Linne. —  Cardinal  Flower. 

Description. — Flowers  similar  in  form  to  the  preceding  but  of  an  in- 
tense scarlet  color. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  smooth  or  slightly  i^ubescent,  simple,  2  to 
4  feet  high.  Leaves  lanceolate,  denticulate.  Flowers  showy,  in  an  elon- 
gated, somewhat  one-sided  raceme,  appearing  late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  swamj)y  places  ;  common. 


Fig.  140.— Lobelia  syphilitica. 


190  EEICACE^. 

Of  the  three  species  described  above,  the  first-named  is  the  only  one 
which  is  medicinally  imjDortant.  The  others,  though  strikingly  beautiful, 
L.  cax'dinalis  especially  so,  are  of  little  interest. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  tops  of  L.  inflata — United  States  .Pharma- 
copceia. 

Constituents. — Lobelia  has  an  acrid  and  irritating  taste,  somewhat  re- 
sembling that  of  tobacco,  and  a  slightly  irritating  odor  when  bruised  or 
powdered.  It  contains  an  odorous  volatile  principle,  a  j)eculiar  alkaloid, 
termed  loheline,  lohelic  acid,  and  common  vegetable  principles. 

Preparations. — Acetum  lobelise — vinegar  of  lobelia;  extractum  lobelise 
fluidum — fluid  extract  of  lobelia  ;  tinctura  lobelise — tincture  of  lobelia. 
—  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Medical  Prop)erties  and  Uses. — In  full  doses  lobelia  produces  severe  nau- 
sea, obstinate  vomiting,  and  great  prostration.  In  overdoses  the  pros- 
tration becomes  extreme,  there  is  failure  of  voluntary  motion,  followed  by 
stupor,  coma,  and  not  unfrequently  convulsions  and  death.  Though  for- 
merly much  used  for  emetic  effect  by  empirics,  dangerous  effects  were  so 
often  produced  that  it  is  now  seldom  emj^loyed  in  this  manner.  It  is 
chiefly  employed  in  sjDasmodic  affections  of  the  air-passages,  as  spasmodic 
laryngitis  and  spasmodic  asthma.  In  the  latter  disease  it  often  produces 
the  happiest  effects. 

ERICACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Grader. — Shrubs,  rarely  herbs,  with  opposite,  alternate 
or  whorled,  commonly  evergreen  leaves.  Flowers  regular  or  nearly  so  ; 
calyx  4-  to  5-lobed,  free  or  adherent  to  the  ovary  ;  corolla  4-  to  5-lobed, 
rarely  with  distinct  petals  ;  stamens  as  many  or  twice  as  many  as  the  lobes 
of  the  corolla,  free  from  but  inserted  with  it ;  anthers  2-celled,  commonly 
appendaged  or  opening  by  terminal  chinks  or  pores  ;  style  1 ;  ovary  3-  to 
10-celled.     Fruit  various. 

A  large  order,  comprising  many  plants  of  medicinal  and  economic  im- 
portance. Of  the  medicinal  species,  some  possess  valuable  diuretic  prop- 
erties, others  are  more  or  less  poisonous,  and  their  therapeutic  applications 
are  not  yet  definitely  knoMm,  so  that,  in  the  present  state  of  science,  it  is 
not  possible  to  formulate,  in  general  terms,  the  medicinal  properties  of  the 
order  as  a  whole. 

As  represented  in  North  America,  the  order  comprises  four  well-marked 
sub-orders,  namely  : 

VaCCINIE^ — ErICINE^ — PYKOIiE^— MONOTROPE.a:, 

the  second  and  third  alone  comprising  medicinal  species. 


ARCTOSTAPHYLOS BEAEBEKRY. 


191 


Sub-order  Ericine^. 


Character  of  the  Sub-Order. — Calyx  free  from  the  ovary.     Corolla  mono- 
petalous  or  sometimes  polypetalous,  liypogynous.     Shrubs  or  small  trees. 


ARCTOSTAPHYLOS.  — Bearberry. 

Arctostaphylos  Uva-ursi  Sprengel. —  Uva-ursi,  Bearberry. 

Description. — Calyx  5-iDartecl,  persistent,  the  lobes  roundish.  Corolla 
•ovate,  urn-shaped,  rose-color,  pellucid  at  the  base,  hairy  inside,  with  5 
short,  acute,  recurved  teeth. 
Stamens  10,  included  ;  anthers 
large,  with  2  pores  at  the  sum- 
mit, laterally  2-awned,  the 
iawns  reflexed.  Ovary  sur- 
rounded with  3  fleshy  scales. 
I'ruit  drupaceous,  depressed- 
globose,  the  size  of  a  large  pea, 
red,  with  a  mealy  insipid  pulp, 
*ind  containing  5  seed-like 
nuts. 

A  small  trailing  shrub. 
Eoot  thick,  woody,  creeping. 
Stems  numerous,  trailing  and 
spreading,  the  sterile  branches 
■often  2  to  3  feet  long.  Leaves 
evergreen,  scattered,  cuneate- 
obovate,  three-fourths  of  an 
inch  long,  variable  in  breadth, 
entire,  coriaceous,  shining. 
Flowers  drooping  in  small 
terminal  racemes,  appearing 
in  April  and  Ma3^ 

Habitat. — Dry  sandy  soils,  rocks  and  bare  hills,  from  New  Jersey  to 
"Wisconsin  and  northward.     Found  also  in  Northern  Europe  and  Asia. 

Parta  Used. — The  leaves— official  name,  Uva-ursi —  United  States  Phar- 
■macopoeia. 

Constituents. — Three  crystalline  principles,  namely,  ar&«^i)?,  ericolin,  and 
ursone,  have  been  found  in  uva-ursi  and  in  other  ericaceous  plants.  In 
■addition  to  these  principles  there  occur  gallic  and  tannic  acids  and  other 
common  vegetable  constituents. 

Preparations. — Extractum  uvpe-ursi  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  uva-ursi. 
—  United  States  Pharmacopceia.  In  many  cases  the  drug  is  best  adminis 
tered  in  infusion. 


Fig.  141. — Arctostaphylos  Uva-ursi. 


192  EKICACE^. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Uva-ursi  is  astringent  and  tonic,  and  is- 
generally  credited  with  a  specific  action  upon  the  m-inaiy  tract.  In  a  con- 
dition of  health  it  produces  no  diuretic  effect,  though  it  is  said  to  do  so  in 
certain  cases  of  disease.  During  its  administration  the  urine  acquires  a. 
dark  color  and  a  joeculiar  odor.  It  is  chiefly  used  in  chronic  urinary  dis- 
eases, as  pyelitis  and  cystitis,  calculous  affections,  gleet,  and  incontinence 
of  urine.  It  has  also  been  used  advantageously  in  leucorrhoea,  diarrhoea,, 
chronic  bronchitis,  and  in  passive  hemorrhages. 

EPIG^A.— Trailing  Arbutus. 

Epigdea  repens  Linne. — Trailing  Arbutus,  Ground  Laurel,  May-- 
Flower. 

Description. — Calyx  deeply  5-parted,  colored,  with  three  bracts  at  the 
base  ;  the  lobes  ovate,  acute,  smooth.  Corolla  tubular,  salver-form,  rose- 
color  or  nearly  white,  the  limb  5-parted,  somewhat  spreading  ;  the  lobes 
ovate,  obtuse,  very  hairy  inside  toward  the  base.  Stamens  10,  shorter 
than  the  corolla  ;  filaments  hairy  at  the  base  ;  anthers  linear,  opening  longi- 
tudinally. Style  straight  ;  stigma  obtusely  5-lobed.  Capsule  depressed- 
globular,  obtusely  5-angled,  5-celled,  many-seeded,  covered  with  the  per- 
sistent calj'x. 

A  prostrate  or  trailing  shrubby  perennial.  Stem  woody,  spreading  on. 
the  ground,  and  often  rooting  at  the  joints,  clothed,  as  are  the  petioles  also, 
with  stiff  brownish  hairs.  Leaves  evergreen,  coriaceous,  1  to  2  inches  long, 
cordate-ovate,  entire,  obtuse  or  with  a  short  mucronate  point,  sprinkled  or 
fringed  with  hairs.  Flowers  in  short  dense  axillary  and  terminal  fascicu- 
late racemes,  conspicuously  bracteate,  very  fragrant  and  ornamental,  ap- 
pearing in  April  and  May. 

Habitat. — In  dry  sandy  woods,  and  on  hill-sides,  especially  in  pine  re- 
gions. 

Part  Used. — The  leaves — not  official. 

Constituents. — Similar  to,  if  not  identical  with  those  of  uva-ursi,  which 
see. 

PrejMrations. — Decoction  and  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — This  plant  has  been  used  as  a  substitute 
for  uva-ursi,  and,  it  is  claimed,  with  satisfactory  results. 

GAULTHERIA.— Aromatic  Wintergreen. 

Gaultheria  p  roc  urn  be  ns  Linnc.—  T17?!/f  rcyrem,  Partridge-Berry,  Tea- 
Berry,  Checkerberry. 

Description. — Calyx  5-lobed,  becoming  fleshy  and  baccate,  and  then  cov- 
ering the  capsule.  Corolla  cylindrical-ovoid,  white,  5-toothed.  Stamens 
10,  shoi'ter  than  the  corolla  ;  anthers  2  lobed,  opening  longitudinally,  2- 


ANDROMEDA.  193 

awned  at  the  summit.  Style  filiform  ;  stigma  undivided,  obtuse.  Cap- 
svile  depressed-globulai',  5-celled,  many-seeded,  completely  enclosed  in  a 
large  red,  berry-like  calyx. 

A  small,  creeping,  shrubby,  or  almost  herbaceous  jDerennial.  Stem 
■creeping  extensively  just  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  sending 
up  erect  branches  3  to  5  inches  high.  Leaves  alternate,  evergreen, 
coriaceous,  1  inch  long,  obovate,  cuneate  at  the  base,  remotely  and  seta- 
ceously  denticulate,  3  to  6  placed  near  the  summit  of  each  branch.  Flowers 
axillary,  on  pedicels  nearly  half  an  inch  long,  with  2  bracteoles  near  the 
flower,  mostly  solitary,  nodding,  appearing  in  summer.  Fruit  edible,  but 
rather  dry. 

Habitat.— In  Avoods,  and  rather  dry  sandy  swamps  ;  common. 

I^art  Used. — The  leaves — United  States  Pharmacopccia. 

Constituents. — Their  most  important  constituent  is  a  highly  aromatic 
volatile  oil  ;  they  also  contain  tannin,  and  the  crystalline  principle  found 
in  uva-ursi,  which  see. 

Pre/parations. — Oleum  gaultherise— oil  of  gaultheria  {oil  of  xointergreen). 
.Spiritus  gaultherire — spirit  of  gaultheria  (es^e/ice  of  lointergreen). —  United 
States  Pharmacopana. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Until  recently,  wintergreen  was  used 
only  as  an  aromatic  stimulant,  or  as  a  flavoring  agent.  Since  the  introduc- 
tion of  salicylic  acid  as  a  remedy  for  rheumatism,  however,  the  oil  of  win- 
tergreen, which  contains  a  large  percentage  of  this  acid,  has  been  used 
medicinally  in  the  same  disease.  In  some  cases  the  results  have  been  grat- 
ifying, but,  in  general,  the  acid  itself,  or  some  of  its  salts,  are  much  more 
efficient.  From  a  somewhat  limited  experience,  the  author  finds  that  fre- 
quent doses  of  the  oil  often  become  insupportable,  owing  to  its  high  flavor, 
and  hence  he  has  found  it  difiicult  to  persist  in  the  use  of  the  remedy  long 
enough  to  secure  permanent  cui'ative  effects. 

ANDROMEDA. 

Andromeda  Mariana  Linne. — Stagger-Bush. 

Description. — Calyx  deeply  5-parted,  the  segments  acute.  Corolla 
•ovoid-cylindrical,  about  one-half  inch  long,  white,  or  pale-rose  color,  5- 
cleft.  Stamens  10  ;  filaments  linear,  lanceolate,  doubly  recurved,  hairy  ; 
anthers  oblong,  a-svnless,  the  cells  opening  by  a  large  oblique  terminal  ori- 
fice. Style  shorter  than  the  corolla,  tapering  ;  stigma  obscurely  lobed. 
Capsule  conical,  somewhat  contracted  at  the  base,  5-celled,  5-angled, 
many-seeded  ;  the  sutures  very  prominent,  at  length  separating  from  the 
valves. 

A  shrub  2  to  3  feet  high,  with  a  few  erect  branches ;  bark  gray,  sprin- 
kled with  black  dots.  Leaves  2  to  3  inches  long,  oval  or  oblong,  often 
■obtuse  at  the  apex,  acute  at  the   base,  entire,  coriaceous,  sprinkled  with 


194  EEICACEiE. 

"black  clots  underneath,  deciduous.  Flowers  large  and  showy,  nodding, 
from  axillary  scaly  buds,  often  forming  elongated  racemes  ;  the  fascicles. 
4-  to  10-flowered  ;  they  appear  in  June  and  July. 

Habitat. — In  low  sandy  soil,  from  Khode  Island  southward,  along  the 
coast. 

This,  and  some  other  indigenous  species  of  andromeda,  are  said  to  be 
poisonous  to  lambs  and  calves,  producing  symptoms  termed  staggers.  The 
j)lants  are  interesting  from  this  fact,  and  from  their  being  apparently  anal- 
ogous to  Kalmia,  which  see. 

OXYDENDRON.— SoRRKL  Tree. 

Oxydendron  arboreum  De  Candolle  {Andromeda  arhorea  Linne). — 
Sorrel  Tree,  Sour  Wood. 

Description. — Calyx  without  bractlets,  very  deeply  5-cleft,  the  segments, 
valvate  in  the  bud.  Corolla  ovate,  5-toothed  puberulent.  Stamens  10  ;  an- 
thers linear,  awnless ;  the  cells  tapering  upward,  and  oiDening  by  a  long- 
chink.     Capsule  oblong-pyramidal,  5-celled,  5-valved,  many-seeded. 

A  tree  15  to  50  feet  high.  Leaves  alternate,  oblong-lanceolate,  acumi- 
nate, serrulate,  at  first  downy,  then  smooth,  on  slender  petioles,  deciduous. 
Flowers  in  long  one-sided  racemes,  clustered  in  an  open  panicle,  tenuinat- 
ing  the  branches  of  the  season  ;  they  appear  in  June  and  Jiily. 

Habitat. — In  rich  woods  from  Pennsylvania  to  Georgia  and  westward.. 
Though  commonly  a  small  tree,  Michaux  states  that  in  the  fertile  valleys  at 
the  foot  of  the  lofty  mountains  of  North  Carolina  he  measured  specimens 
which  were  50  feet  high  and  12  or  15  inches  in  diameter. 

Part  Used. — The  leaves — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Infusion  and  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  leaves  of  this  tree  have  a  pleasant 
acidulous  taste,  and  are  said  to  be  tonic,  refrigerant,  and  diuretic.  They 
are  used  in  domestic  j)ractice,  in  the  form  of  infusion  or  decoction,  as  a. 
refrigeratit  drink  in  fevers. 

KALMIA. — American  Laurel. 

Kalmia  latifo Ma  Linne. — Calico-Bush,  Mountain  Laurel,  Spoon-Wood. 

Description. — Calyx  small,  5-parted,  persistent,  with  oval,  acute  seg- 
ments. Corolla-tube  short,  cylindrical,  the  limb  spreading,  and  terminating 
in  an  erect,  5-parted  margin.  Stamens  10  ;  anthers  lodged  in  dejDressions 
in  the  corolla  in  such  a  manner  that  as  the  flower  expands  the  filaments- 
ai'e  bent  strongly  outward  ;  when  the  flower  is  fully  expanded  the  anthers 
are  released,  and  the  filaments  recoil  elastically,  throwing  the  anthers  over 
upon  the  stigma.     Pod  globose,  5-valved,  5-celled,  many-seeded. 


KAOiiA — amf:kican  laukel.  195 

An  evergreeu  shrub,  4  to  20  feet  high.  Leaves  mostly  alternate,  cori- 
aceous, bright  green  both  sides,  ovate-lanceolate  or  elhptical,  tapering  to 
each  end,  petioled.  Flowers  very  showy,  in  terminal,  many-tiowered,  um- 
bel-like corymbs,  varying  from  deej)  rose-color  to  nearly  white  ;  they  ap- 
pear in  May  and  June. 

Habitat.— Cunada,  to  Florida  and  westward  ;  in  the  Northern  States  a 
low  shrub,  farther  south  it  is  larger,  and  often  forms  vei-y  dense  thickets. 

Fart  Used. — The  leaves — not  official. 

Constituents. — Analysis,  as  yet,  has  thrown  little  light  upon  the  sup- 
posed properties  of  this  plant.  Besides  the  ordinary  principle  of  plants, 
there  have  been  found  in  it  an  acrid  pi-inciple,  and  arhutin,  the  latter  one 
of  the  constituents  of  uva-ursi,  and  other  ericaceous  plants. 

Preparations. — Kalmia  imparts  its  virtues  to  boiling  water  and  alcohol; 
it  may  be  administered  in  decoction  or  tincture. 

Medical  Projierties  and  Uses. — The  leaves  of  the  plant  as  also  those 
of  Kalmia  angustifolia  {Sheep-Laurel,  Lamb-kill)  are  said  to  be  poisonous 
to  sheep  and  calves  ;  and  cases  are  reported  of  inen  being  poisoned  by 
eating  the  flesh  of  partridges  which  had  fed  upon  the  buds  and  berries. 
On  the  other  hand,  Wilson,  the  ornithologist,  ate  freely  of  the  flesh  of  such 
birds  without  any  ill  eflect  whatever  ;  and  deer  feed  upon  the  leaves  in 
winter,  not  only  without  ill  effect  upon  themselves,  but  also  without  ren- 
dering their  flesh  unwholesome  to  man.  And  yet  the  common  opinion  is 
that  the  leaves  are  very  poisonous.  The  writer  himself  was  cautioned  by 
an  old  Massachusetts  farmer  against  meddhng  with  K.  an'justifolia  because 
of  its  poisonous  nature  ;  disregarding  the  advice,  he  ate  several  leaves  in 
the  presence  of  the  farmer,  without,  howevei',  convincing  the  latter,  not- 
withstanding no  ill  effects  were  experienced.  That  persons  have  been  poi- 
soned seriously  by  eating  the  flesh  of  partridges  in  winter  cannot  be  de- 
nied ;  that  these  birds  may  have  fed  upon  kalmia  buds  and  berries  is  also 
probable,  but  that  their  flesh  is  thus  rendered  poisonous  does  not  seem  as 
yet  fully  established.  Some  experimenters  have  reported  eftects  produced 
in  their  own  persons  by  strong  decoctions  of  the  leaves,  similar  to  those  of 
partridge  poisoning  ;  others  quite  as  worthy  of  credence  have  failed  to 
observe  any  sensible  eflect  from  them.  Taking  these  contradictory  state- 
ments in  connection  with  the  negative  results  of  the  chemical  anah'ses  thus 
far  made,  one  may  reasonably  conclude  either  that  the  poisonous  character 
of  these  plants  has  been  greatly  exaggerated,  or  that  the  energy  of  the 
poison,  whatever  it  may  be,  is  gx'eatly  influenced  by  the  personal  idiosyn- 
crasy of  the  individual  exiDcrimented  with. 

Eegarding  the  therapeutic  application  of  kalmia,  there  exists  the  same 
confusion.  It  is  said  to  be  "  antisyphilitic,  sedative  to  the  heart,  and  some- 
what astringent."  How  truly  antis\'philitic  it  is  may  be  conjectured  from 
the  following  case  reported  by  King :  "  Some  time  since  I  treated  a  case 
of  syphilis  of  five  weeks'  standing,  which  had  not  received  any  kind  of 


196  EEICACEiE. 

treatment  during  that  period.  The  patient,  at  the  time  I  first  saw  him, 
had  several  chancres,  the  surface  of  the  body  and  head  was  covered  with 
small  red  pimples,  elevated  above  a  jaundiced  skin,  and  he  was  in  a  very- 
debilitated  condition.  I  administered  a  saturated  tincture  of  the  leaves  of 
kalmia,  and  touched  the  chancres  with  a  tincture  of  mm-iate  of  iron,  and 
effected  a  cure  in  four  weeks,  removing  the  jaundice  at  the  same  time." 

The  bruised  leaves,  and  a  decoction  have  been  used  topically  in  some 
skin  diseases  with  asserted  benefit. 

It  would  seem  from  the  foregoing  that  there  is  much  uncertainty  in  what 
has  been  written  of  kalmia,  fi-om  the  time  of  Kalm  to  the  present  day,  and 
that  the  plant  requii-es  further  investigation. 

LEDUM.— Labrador  Tea. 

Ledum  latifolium  Alton. — Labrador  Tea. 

Description. — Calyx  5-toothed,  very  small.  Corolla  :  petals  5,  obovate, 
spreading,  distinct.  Stamens  5,  occasionally  6  or  7  ;  anthers  oj)ening  by 
terminal  pores.  Pod  oblong,  5-celled,  many-seeded,  splitting  fx-om  below 
upward. 

A  shrub  2  to  5  feet  high.  Leaves  alternate,  elliptical  or  oblong,  entire, 
the  margins  revolute,  rusty-woolly  beneath,  coriaceous,  persistent.  Flowers 
white,  small,  in  terminal  umbel  hke  clusters,  from  large  scaly  buds,  ap- 
pearing in  June. 

Habitat. — In  cold  bogs  and  mountain  woods  from  Pennsylvania  to  Wis- 
consin and  northward. 

Ledum  palustre  Linne. — Marsh  Tea. 

Description. — Like  the  preceding,  but  with  uniformly  10  stamens,  oval 
pods,  and  linear  leaves. 

Habitat. — In  swamps  and  wet  places  in  British  North  America,  and  also 
in  northern  Europe  and  Asia. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  of  both  species — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  leaves  of  marsh  tea  have  a  balsamic  odor,  and  an 
aromatic,  camphoraceous,  bitter  taste  ;  they  contain  a  peculiar  tannin, 
termed  leditannic  acid,  and  a  pungent  aromatic  volatile  oil,  besides  com- 
mon constituents  of  plants.  The  constituents  of  Labrador  tea  are  sup- 
posed to  be  similar. 

Preparations. — Commonly  used  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Marsh  tea  is  said  to  be  acro-narcotic, 
producing,  in  large  doses,  headache,  restlessness,  dilatation  of  the  pupil, 
and  a  sort  of  intoxication,  accompanied  with  increased  secretion  of  urine, 
saliva,  and  perspiration.  Its  sphere  of  therapeutic  application  is  not 
definitely  settled,  though  it  has  been  used  in  spasmodic  croup,  Avhooping- 
cough,  gout,  rheumatism,  and  various  skin  diseases.  A  strong  decoction 
is  used  externally  to  destroy  cutaneous  parasites  in  domestic  animals,  and 
the  fresh  leaves  are  jjlaced  in  woollen  cloths  to  protect  them  against  moths. 


CHIM  APIIILA PIPSISSE  WA.  1 9  7 

Labrador  tea  appears  to  be  less  active  than  the  other  species,  but 
otherwise  not  different  from  it.  It  is  said  to  have  been  used  dui'iug  the 
Eevolution  as  a  substitute  for  tea. 

CHIMAPHILA.  — PiPSissEWA. 

Chimaphlla  umbellata  Nuttall. — Prince's  Pine,  Pipsisseioa. 

Description. — Calyx  5-parted,  free  from  the  ovary,  persistent.  Corolla  : 
petals  5,  concave,  orbicular,  widely-spreading,  distinct.  Stamens  10  ;  fil- 
aments enlarged  and  hairy  in  the  middle  ;  anthers  more  or  less  2-horned 
at  the  base,  which,  by  inversion,  becomes  the  apparent  apex.  Styles  very 
short,  inversely  conical,  nearly  immersed  in  the  depressed  summit  of  the 
globular  ovary  ;  stigma  disk-shaped,  the  border  5-crenate.  Pod  depressed- 
globular,  5-celled,  5-valved,  splitting  from  the  apex  downward. 

A  low,  nearly  herbaceous,  evergreen  plant,  with  long  running  under- 
ground stems,  and  short,  ascending,  leafy  branches,  4  to  10  inches  high. 
Leaves  evergreen,  thick  and  shining,  cuneate-lanceolate,  acute  at  the  base, 
shai-ply  serrate,  whorled  or  scattered.  Flowers  white  or  purpHsh,  fra- 
grant, corymbed  or  umbelled  on  a  terminal  peduncle,  appearing  in  June. 

Habitat. — In  dry  woods  ;  common. 

Chimaphila  maculata  Pursh. — Spotted  Wintergreen. 

Description. — Readily  distinguished  from  the  preceding  by  its  leaves 
alone,  which  are  ovate-lanceolate,  obtuse  at  the  base,  remotely  toothed,  and 
have  the  upper  surface  variegated  with  white. 

Habitat. — Dry  woods  ;  less  common  than  the  preceding. 
Part  Used. — The  leaves  of  C.  umbellata — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — Chemical  analysis,  as  yet,  has  thrown  little  light  upon 
the  therapeutic  activity  of  chimaphila.  Besides  the  common  constituents 
of  plants  there  have  been  found  in  it  a  jDCCuliar  crystaUine  substance, 
termed  chiniaphilin,  which,  however,  does  not  appear  to  be  the  active  prin- 
cii^le  ;  the  latter  has  not  been  isolated. 

Preparations. — Extractum  chimaphil;T3  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  chi- 
maphila.—  United  States  Pharviacopceia.  A  decoction  is  also  efficient  and 
sometimes  preferable. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Chimaphila,  in  its  action,  closely  resem- 
bles uva-ursi,  and  is  used  for  like  purposes.  Its  tonic  jjroperties  are  said 
to  render  it  especially  useful  in  scrofulous  aflections.  Like  uva  ursi  it  is 
beneficial  in  chronic  affections  of  the  urinary  organs.  C.  maculata  is  said 
to  resemble  it  both  in  constituents  and  in  therapeutic  activity. 

AQUIFOLIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order.  — Shrubs  or  trees  with  simple,  mostly  alternate 
leaves,  and  4-  to  8-merous  flowers.  Stamens  as  many  as  the  lobes  of  the 
coroUa,  alternate  with  them,  and  inserted  upon  their  base.     Ovary  free. 


198  AQUIFOLIACEiE. 

forming,  ia  fruit,  a  4-  to  8-seeded  drupe  ;  stigmas  4  to  8,  or  united  into 
one,  nearly  sessile. 

A  small  and  comparatively  unimportant  order.  In  general,  plants  of 
tliis  order  are  possessed  of  emetic  properties. 

ILEX.— Holly. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  4-  to  6-tootbed.  Corolla  :  petals  4  to  6, 
separate  or  united  at  the  base.  Stamens  4  to  6,  alternate  with  the  petals. 
Ovary  4-  to  6-celled  ;  stigmas  sessile.  Fruit  a  berry-like  drupe  with  4  to  6 
seed-like  nutlets.  Shrubs  or  trees  with  simple,  mostly  alternate  leaves. 
Flowers  more  or  less  dioeciously  polygamous. 

Ilex  opaca  Aiton. — American  Holly. 

Description. — Parts  of  flower  commonly  in  fours.  Fruit  red,  its  nutlets 
ribbed  and  veiny. 

A  tree  20  to  40  feet  high.  Leaves  evergreen,  oval,  flat,  the  wavy 
margins  with  scattered  spiny  teeth.  Flowers  in  loose  clusters  along  the 
base  of  the  young  branches,  and  in  the  axils,  appearing  in  June. 

Habitat. — In  woodlands  and  open  places  from  Maine  to  Florida  and 
westward  ;  more  common  and  of  large  size  southward. 

Ilex  Cassine  Walter. — Cassena,  Yaupon. 

Description. — Flowers  and  fruit  like  the  preceding.  A  shrub  8  to  12 
feet  high,  slender,  the  short  spreading  branches  often  spine-like.  Leaves, 
evergreen,  -g-  to  1  inch  long,  oval  or  oblong,  obtuse,  crenate.  Flower- 
clusters  very  numerous,  sessile  or  nearly  so,  appearing  in  April. 

Habitat. — In  light  sandy  soil  along  the  coast  from  North  Carolina  to 
Florida. 

Ilex  Dahoon  Walter. — Dahoon  Holly. 

Description.  —Flowers  and  fruit  as  in  the  preceding.  A  shrub  or  small 
tree.  Leaves  evergreen,  2  to  3  inches  long,  varying  from  obovate  to  ob- 
long-linear, acute  or  obtuse,  mucronate,  entire,  or  sharply  serrate  above  the 
middle,  on  short  petioles  ;  their  under  surface,  as  well  as  the  younger 
branches  and  flower-clusters,  pubescent.  Sterile  peduncles  many  flowered, 
the  fertile  ones  shorter,  mostly  1-flowered  ;  the  flowers  ajDpear  in  April 
and  May. 

Variety  3Iyrtifolia  (Ilex  myiiifolia  Walter)  has  small  leaves,  ^  to  1 
inch  long,  linear-oblong,  entire,  or  on  young  branches,  sharply  2-  to  4- 
toothed  toward  the  apex. 

Habitat. — Margins  of  swamps.  North  Carolina  to  Florida  and  westward. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  fruit — not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — The  leaves  of  European  holly  (Ilex  Aquifolium  Linne) 
have  been  more  carefully  examined  than  those  of  any  North  American 
species.  They  contain  a  bitter  principle,  ilicin,  a  yellow  coloring  sub- 
stance called  ilexanthin,  and  a  peculiar  acid,  ilicic  acid.  Some  of  the 
American  species  contain  caffeina. 


DIOSPYROS PERSIMMON.  19^ 

Preparations. — Administered  in  powder  or  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Holly  has  been  mucli  more  used  in. 
Euroj^e  than  in  this  country.  Its  bitterness  led  to  its  use  in  intermittent 
fever,  but  careful  observation  has  proved  it  worthless  in  this  disease.  In 
large  doses  the  leaves  produce  nausea  and  vomiting,  while  the  berries,  ad- 
ministered in  like  manner,  cause  both  vomiting  and  purging.  Possessing 
such  irritating  properties,  they  may,  of  course,  be  used  in  such  manner  aa 
to  cause  diaphoresis,  and  hence  probably  their  asserted  efficacy  in  rheu- 
matism. I.  opaca  is  said  to  be  somewhat  demulcent,  and  has  been  used  in 
pulmonary  affections  to  allay  cough  and  promote  expectoration.  I.  cassine 
is  said  to  be  used  considerably  in  the  South  as  a  substitute  for  tea  ;  as  it 
contains  cafteina,  its  use  in  this  manner  is  much  more  rational  than  that  of 
several  other  plants  which  have  nothing  in  their  composition  analogous  to 
the  constituents  of  tea. 

EBENACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Trees  or  shrubs  with  alternate  entu'e  leaves, 
and  dioecious  or  polygamous,  regular  flowers.  Calyx  persistent,  foliaceous. 
Corolla  monopetalous,  hypogynous.  Stamens  at  least  twice  or  thrice  as 
many  as  the  lobes  of  the  corolla,  and  inserted  on  its  tube  or  base.  Ovary 
several-celled,  with  one  or  two  ovules  in  each  cell.  Fruit  a  berry,  matur- 
ing in  one  or  more  bony-coated  seeds. 

A  small  order,  comprising  15  genera  and  180  sj)ecies,  chiefly  troiDical. 
Eepresented  in  North  America  by  the  genus 

DIOSPYROS. —Persimmon. 

Diospyras  Virginiana  Linne. — Persimmon,  Date  Plum. 

Description. — Calyx  4-lobed,  increasing  in  size  with  the  development  of 
the  fruit.  Corolla  4-lobed,  between  bell-shaped  and  urn-shaped,  greenish- 
yellow,  thickish,  glabrous.  Stamens  IG,  in  pairs,  pubescent ;  the  sterile 
ones  of  the  fertile  flowers  8.  Ovary  8-celled  ;  styles  4,  2-lobed  at  the 
apex.  Fruit  plum-hke,  1  inch  in  diameter,  4-  to  8-seeded.  Yellow  when 
ripe. 

A  tree  20  to  70  feet  high.  Leaves  2  to  5  inches  long,  ovate  or  oblong, 
more  or  less  pubescent  when  young,  at  length  nearly  or  quite  smooth. 
Fertile  flowers  commonly  solitary  in  the  axils  ;  sterile  ones  in  threes. 
Fruit  exceedingly  astringent  while  green,  but  when  ripe,  after  frost,  very 
sweet  and  luscious. 

Habitat. — In  woods  and  old  fields  from  Rhode  Island  to  Iowa,  and 
southward.      East  of  the  Alleghanies  it  is  most  common  along  the  coast. 

Part  Used. — The  unripe  fruit.  It  was  formerly  official,  but  was  dropped 
from  the  Pharmacopoeia  in  1880.     The  liark  is  also  employed. 

Constituents. — Tannic  and  malic  acids,  sugar  and  pectin. 


200  PLUMB  AGIN  A  CE^. 

Preparations. — Infusion  and  vinous  tincture. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  unrijoe  fruit  and  inner  bark  are  as- 
tringent and  bitter.  Tannin  appears  to  be  their  only  constituent  of  thera- 
peutic importance.  Like  other  drugs  containing  tannin,  persimmon  has 
been  employed  in  chronic  and  subacute  catarrhal  affections,  and  in  hem- 
orrhages, but  many  other  articles  are  much  more  eligible  and  efficacious. 

PLUMBAGINACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  rarely  woody,  with  leaves  alternate  or 
clustered  at  the  root.  Flowers  regular,  5-merous.  Calyx  tubular,  plaited, 
persistent.  Petals  united  at  the  base,  or  distinct.  Stamens  opposite  the 
petals  or  lobes  of  the  corolla.  Ovary  1-celled,  free  from  the  calyx,  1- 
ovuled. 

An  order  inhabiting  the  sea-shore  or  salt  marshes,  mostly  in  temperate 
regions.  Eepresented  in  North  America  by  three  genera,  only  one  of 
'which  comprises  medicinal  sjoecies. 

STATICE.  — MARsn-RosEMARY. 

Statice  LimoniumLinne. — Marsh-Rosemary,  Sea  Lavender. 

Description. — Calyx  funnel-form,  dry,  membranaceous,  persistent.  Co- 
rolla :  petals  5,  distinct,  or  united  below,  with  long  claws.  Stamens  5, 
united  to  the  bases  of  the  petals.  Styles  5,  rarely  3,  distinct.  Fruit  mem- 
"branaceous,  indehiscent. 

A  perennial  herb,  with  a  thick,  reddish,  woody  root.  Leaves  all  radi- 
cal, thickish,  oblong,  spatulate,  or  obovate-lanceolate,  tapering  into  a 
rather  long  petiole.  Scapes  1  to  2  feet  high,  loosely  paniculate,  the  flow- 
ers in  one-sided  spikes  on  the  branches,  2-  to  3-bracted,  appearing  late  in 
summer. 

Habitat. — In  salt  marshes  along  the  coast,  and,  in  various  forms, 
throughout  the  world.  Our  plant  is  var.  Caroliniana  Gray,  while  the  form 
found  on  the  Pacific  coast  is  var.  Calif ornica  Gray. 

Part  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constituents. — Marsh-rosemary  contains,  as  its  most  important  constitu- 
ent, about  twelve  per  cent,  of  tannin. 

Preparations. — Decoction  and  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Containing,  as  it  does,  a  large  percent- 
age of  tannin,  this  plant  is  powerfully  astringent.  In  the  early  part  of 
this  century  it  was  largely  used  for  the  same  purposes  as  are  catechu  and 
kino  now.  At  present  its  decoction  is  chiefly  used  as  a  domestic  remedy, 
often  as  a  gargle  in  sore  throat,  and  as  an  astringent  to  bleeding  and  ulcer- 
ated surfaces. 


CAT  ALP  A.  201 


BICNONIACEiC. 


Character  of  the  Order. — Trees,  climbing  or  twining  sknibs,  rarely 
herbs,  with  opposite,  rarely  alternate,  simple  or  compound  leaves  and 
showy,  often  trumpet-shaped  flowers.  Calyx  2-lipped,  5-cleft  or  entire. 
Corolla  usually  irregular,  4-  to  5-lobed,  deciduous.  Stamens  5,  unequal, 
one  or  two  of  them  often  abortive,  inserted  upon  the  coi'olla.  Ovary  free  ; 
style  long  ;  stigma  2-lipped.  Fruit  a  2-valved,  often  pod-like  capsule,  di- 
vided by  an  expansion  of  the  placeutte.  Seeds  generally  numerous  and 
winged. 

An  order  of  chiefly  tropical  plants,  comprising  few  medicinal  species, 
and  these  possessed  of  no  very  striking  properties. 

BIGNONIA. 

Bignonia  capreolata  Linne. — Bignonia. 

Description. — Calyx  somewhat  bell-shaped,  the  margin  wavy  or  slightly 
5-toothed.  Corolla  irregular,  bell-shaped,  5-lobed,  and  rather  2-lipped, 
orange  color,  two  inches  long.  Stamens  unequal,  2  long,  2  short,  and  1 
rudimentary  and  sterile.  Pod  2-celled,  flattened  parallel  with  the  valves 
and  partitions.  Seeds  in  two  rows,  and  provided  with  a  membranous 
wing. 

A  shrubby  climber,  often  ascending  tall  trees.  Wood  so  arranged  in 
the  stem  as,  in  transverse  section,  to  show  a  cross.  Leaves  of  2  oblong 
or  ovate  leaflets  and  a  branching  tendril,  often  with  a  pair  of  accessory 
leaves  in  the  axils,  resembling  stipules.  Flowers  clustered,  the  peduncles 
1-flowered,  appearing  in  April. 

Habitat. — In  rich  soil  from  Virginia  to  Southern  Illinois  and  south- 
ward. 

Part  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constituents.  — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Used  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses.  —Bignonia  is  said  to  have  been  used  as  a 
substitute  for  sarsaparilla.  If  it  have  active  medicinal  properties,  they 
are  yet  to  be  ascertained. 

CATALPA. 

Catalpa  bignonioldes  Walter. — Catalpa,  Indian  Bean. 

Description. — Calyx  2-lipped,  corolla  bell-shaped,  inflated,  the  border 
spi-eading,  4-  to  5-lobed,  irregular,  somewhat  2-lipped,  white,  tinged  with 
violet,  and  dotted  with  purple  and  yellow  on  the  throat.  Fertile  stamens, 
2  or  4  ;  sterile  and  rudimentary,  1  or  3.  Pod  one  foot  long,  slender, 
nearly   cylindrical,  2-ceUed. 


202  OROBA]S'CnACEiE. 

A  tree  twenty  to  fifty  feet  high.  Leaves  mostly  opj)osite,  large,  cor- 
date, pointed,  pubescent,  at  least  beneath,  loug-petioled.  Flowers  in  large, 
showy,  terminal  jjanicles,  appearing  in  summer. 

Habitat. — Native  of  the  Southern  States,  but  common  in  cultivation  in 
New  England  and  New  York. 

Parts  Used. — The  bark  and  seeds — not  official. 

Constituents. — In  the  bark  have  been  found  tannin,  an  amorphous 
Litter  principle,  a  bitter,  nauseous  crystalline  body,  besides  common  vege- 
table constituents. 

Preparations.  — A  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Eegarding  the  medicinal  proj)erties  of 
catalpa,  there  is  little  to  be  said,  for  little  of  a  definite  character  is  known. 
It  is  said  to  be  emetic  and  vermifuge,  and  to  have  been  used  in  bronchitis 
and  asthma  with  beneficial  effect.  Porcher  states  that  the  honey  col- 
lected from  the  flowers  is  somewhat  poisonous. 

OROBANCHACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Low,  fleshy  herbs,  parasitic  upon  the  roots  of 
other  plants,  destitute  of  green  foliage,  bearing  scales  instead  of  leaves. 
Calyx  4-  to  5-tootlied  or  parted.  Corolla  monopetalous,  tubular,  5-lobed, 
more  or  less  2-lipped,  withering-persistent.  Stamens  4,  inserted  in  pairs 
upon  the  tube  of  the  corolla.  Ovary  fi'ee  ;  style  long,  curved  at  the  apex  ; 
stigma  large.     Pod  1-celled,  2-valved.     Seeds  numerous. 

A  small  order  of  unimportant  plants.  In  general  they  possess  bitter 
and  astringent  jDroperties. 

EPIPHEGUS  .—Beech-Drops. 

Epiphegus  Virginiana  Barton. — Beech-Drops,  Cancer-Boot. 

Description. — Calyx  5-toothed.  Corolla  of  the  upper  flowers  long, 
tubular,  curved,  4-toothed,  whitish  and  purple  ;  of  the  lower  flowers, 
short,  seldom  expanding,  but  being  forced  from  its  base  by  the  growth  of 
the  pod.  Pod  2-valved  at  the  apex,  but  with  2  partial  partitions  in  each 
valve. 

A  slender  much-branched  herb,  6  to  12  inches  high,  purj)hsh  or  yel- 
lowish-brown, with  small  scattered  scales.  Flowers  racemose  or  spiked, 
the  upper  sterile,  the  lower  fertile,  aj)pearing  late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — Parasitic  upon  the  roots  of  beech-trees  ;  very  common. 

Part  Used. — The  entire  plant — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Administered  in  decoction  or  powder. 

Medical  Pj-operties  and  Uses. — Beech-drops  has  a  disagreeable  bitter 
and  astringent  taste,  which  is  much  more  pronounced  in  the  recent  than 
in  the  dried  specimen.     It  has  been  employed  both  topically  and  internally 


APHYLLON NAKED  BROOM-RAPE.  203 

as  an  astringent.     Doubtless  its  effect  wlien  applied  to  ill-conditioned  ulcers 
led  to  the  absurd  notion  that  it  is  curative  of  cancer. 

CONOPHOLIS.  — Canceh-Root. 

Conopholis  Americana  Walh-oth — Squaw-Root,  Cancer-Boot. 

Description. — Calyx  irregularly  4-  to  5-toothed.  Corolla  tubular  at  the 
base,  2 -lipped,  the  upper  lip  2-lobed,  the  lower  3-parted,  spreading.  Pod 
2-valved,  with  2  placentae  on  each  valve. 

Stem  4  to  7  inches  high,  thick,  simple,  covei'ed  with  ovate-lanceolate, 
acute  scales,  regularly  imbricated  like  the  scales  of  a  pine  cone  :  the  upper 
scales  forming  bracts  to  the  flowers.  Flowers  in  a  thick  scaly  spike,  ap- 
pearing in  May  and  June.  The  entire  plant  is  chestnut-colored  or  yellow- 
ish. 

Habitat. — In  oak  woods. 

Parts  Used. — The  entire  plant — not  official. 

Const  it  uetits.  — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Used  in  decoction  or  powder. 

3Iedical  Properties  and  Uses. — Like  those  of  Beech-Drops,  which  see. 

APHYLLON.— Naked  Broom-Rape. 

Aphyllon  uniflorum  Torrey  and  Gray. — Naked  Broom-Rape. 

Descri2)tion. —Calyx  5-cleft,  regular.  Corolla  with  a  long  curved  tube, 
the  border  2-lipped,  the  upj^er  lip  deeply  2-cleft,  the  lower  3-cleft,  pui-- 
plish-white.  Stamens  included.  Capsule  2-valved,  each  valve  with  2 
placentae. 

Stem  subterranean  or  nearly  so,  scaly,  often  branched,  each  branch 
sending  up  1  to  3  slender,  1-flowered  scapes,  3  to  5  inches  high.  Flow- 
ers and  scapes  glandular-pubescent  ;  they  appear  in  April  and  May. 

Habitat. — In  dry  woodlands  ;  common. 

Farts  Used. — The  entire  plant — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Used  in  decoction  or  powder. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Like  those  of  Beech-Drops,  which  see. 

SCROPHULARIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  rarely  shrubs  or  trees,  with  opposite  or 
alternate,  exstipulate  leaves,  and  irregular,  monopetalous  flowers.  Calyx 
5-lobed,  rarely  4-lobed,  jDersistent.  Corolla  5-lobed,  rarely  4-lobed,  often 
2-lipped  or  mox'e  or  less  irregular.  Stamens  2  or  4,  sometimes  5,  inserted 
on  the  tube  of  the  corolla.  Ovary  free,  2-celled  ;  style  1,  undi-sdded  ;  stig- 
ma entire  or  2-lobed.     Pod  2-celled,  many-seeded. 

A  large  and  widely  distributed  order.     IMost  of  the  species  are  bitter. 


204 


SCROPHULARIACEJE. 


some  of  them  acrid,  and  others  possess  narcotic  properties,  so  that  it  i* 
difficult  to  characterize  them  in  general  terms. 


VERB  ASCUM.  —Mullein. 


Verbascum  Thapsus  Linne. — Common  lluUein. 
Description. — Calyx  5-parted.     Corolla  slightly  concave,  wheel-shaped, 
5-lobed,  the  lobes  shghtly  irregular.     Stamens  5,  three  of  them  with  woolly 

filaments,  the  others  glabrous. 
Style  flattened  at  the  apex.  Pod 
globular,  many-seeded. 

A  stout,  erect  biennial,  simple 
or  branched  above,  2  to  4  feet 
high,  densely  clothed  with  soft 
wooUy  hairs.  Leaves  oblong, 
pointed,  shghtly  toothed,  nar- 
rowed at  the  base  into  two  -wings 
which  run  down  the  stem  ;  the 
lower  ones  often  jDetiolate,  and  6 
to  10  inches  long.  Flowers  yel- 
low, in  a  dense,  wooUy,  terminal 
spike,  appearing  throughout  the 
summer. 

Habitat.  —  NaturaHzed  from 
Europe  ;  common  everywhere. 

Farts  Used. — The  leaves  and 
flowers — not  official. 

Constituents.- — Both  leaves  and 
flowers  contain  mucilage ;  the 
flowers  yield  also  a  small  amount 
of  yellow  volatile  oil. 

Preparations. — Of  the  leaves  : 
an  infusion  ;  they  are  also  employed  in  the  preparation  of  poultices.  Of 
the  flowers  :  an  infusion  in  oil  is  a  popular  preparation  in  some  parts  of 
Continental  Europe. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  chief,  if  not  the  only  medicinal  con- 
stituent of  mullein  is  its  mUcilage.  This  being  admitted,  the  indications 
for  the  therapeutic  use  of  the  plant  are  plain.  It  may  be  employed  in  aU 
cases  requiring  demulcents,  and,  if  not  as  agreeable  as  some  other  agents 
of  this  class,  it  will  probably  be  of  equal  efficacy.  The  infused  oil  of  the 
flowers  is  probably  no  more  active  than  oil  in  which  flowers  have  not  been 
infused  ;  it  is  used  as  an  embrocation  in  sprains  and  bruises. 


Fio.  142.— Verbascum  Thapsus. 


VEKONICA — SPEEDWELL.  205 

SCROPHULARIA.— FiGWORT. 

Scrophularia  nodosa  hume.—Figivort. 

Description.— Gobf^  deeply  5-parted,  the  lobes  rounded.  Corolla-tube 
somewhat  globular,  twice  the  length  of  the  calyx,  the  margin  5-lobed,  the 
2  upper  lobes  longer  than  the  2  lateral,  the  lower  spreaduig.  Stamens  4, 
turned  downward  ;  a  fifth  rudimentary  stamen  is  situated  at  the  summit 
of  the  corolla-tube.     Capsule  2-celled,  2-valved,  many-seeded. 

A  coarse,  erect  perennial  herb,  2  to  3  feet  high.  Stem  quadrangular. 
Leaves  opposite,  large,  broadly  ovate,  or  cordate,  pointed,  doubly  crenate 
or  serrate.  Flowers  greenish-pm-ple,  in  loose  cymes,  forming  a  terminal 
panicle  ;  they  aj)pear  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  damp  woods  ;  common.     Found  also  in  Europe  and  Asia. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  root — not  official. 

Constituents. — A  peculiar  princiiDle,  scrophularin,  and  the  common  con- 
stituents of  plants. 

Preparations. — Infusion  and  decoction. 

Medical  Proi^rties  and  Uses. — This  plant  derives  its  generic  name  from 
its  supposed  efficacy  in  scrofula,  a  supposition  long  since  jjroved  to  be 
without  foundation.  If  it  have  any  active  medicinal  virtue,  the  fact  is  yet 
to  be  ascei'tained. 

CHELONE.  — Turti.e-Head. 

Chelone  g\?LhrdiJAnn(.\  —  Tarlle-Head,  Balmony. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  5,  distinct,  imbricated.  Corolla  inflated- 
tubular,  with  the  mouth  but  little  open,  2-lipped,  white  ;  the  u^Dper  lip 
ai'ched,  keeled  in  the  middle,  notched  at  the  apex  ;  the  lower  lij)  S-lobed, 
woolly  in  the  throat,  the  middle  lobe  smallest.  Stamens,  4  perfect,  woolly, 
and  a  fifth  smaller,  sterile.     Capsule  ovate,  many-seeded. 

A  smooth  perennial.  Stem  ujDright,  branching.  Leaves  opposite, 
lanceolate,  serrate,  acuminate,  narrowed  at  the  base  into  a  very  short 
petiole.  Flowers  Avhite,  or  tinged  with  rose-color,  in  sessile  si^ikes  or 
clusters,  appearing  from  July  till  autumn. 

Habitat. — In  wet  places  ;  common. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents. — A  bitter  principle  which  has  not  been  isolated. 

Preparations. — A  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Usea. — Balmony  is  laxative  or  pui-gative,  accord- 
ing to  the  dose  administered.  Its  therapeutic  limitations  are,  as  yet,  in- 
definite. 

VERONICA.  —Speedweli.. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  4-parted.  Corolla  rotate  or  salverform, 
4-parted, .  the  lateral  lobes  or  the  lower  one  narrower  than  the  upper. 
Stamens  2,  one  each  side  of  the  upper  lobe  of  the  corolla,  exserted.     Style 


206  SCROPIIULARIACE.E. 

entire.  Capsule  compressed,  often  obcortlate,  2-celled,  few-  or  many- 
seeded. 

Herbs,  rarely  shrubs,  with  opj)osite  or  whorled  leaves.  Flowers  soli- 
tary, axillary,  or  in  racemes,  blue,  flesh-colored,  or  white. 

Veronica  Virginica  Linne  [LeiMndra  Virginica  Nuttall).  —  Culver's- 
Root,  Culrcrs-Physic. 

Description. — Tube  of  the  corolla  longer  than  its  Hmb,  and  much  longer 
than  the  calyx.  Both  calyx  and  corolla  sometimes  5-parted.  Pod  oblong- 
ovate,  not  notched,  opening  by  4  teeth  at  the  summit,  many-seeded. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  simple,  erect,  smooth,  2  to  5  feet  high.  Leaves 
in  whorls  of  4  to  7,  lanceolate,  j)ointed,  finely  serrate.  Flowers  white,  in 
dense  terminal  spicate  panicled  racemes,  appearing  in  July  and  August. 

Habitat — In  rich,  open  woods,  from  Vermont  to  Wisconsin  and  south- 
ward. 

Part  V^ed. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets  Official  name  :  Leptandra — 
United  States  Pliarmacopoeia. 

Veronica  officinalis  Linne. — Common  Speedwell. 

Descriiotion. — Corolla  with  a  very  short  tube,  the  limb  rotate,  the  lower 
segment  narrowest.     Capsule  obovate  or  obcordate,  many-seeded. 

A  low  perennial.  Stem  perennial  at  the  base,  much  branched,  creej)ing 
and  rooting  at  the  nodes.  Leaves  opposite,  short  petioled,  obovate-ellij)tical 
or  wedge-oblong,  serrate,  hairy.  Flowers  in  axillary  racemes,  nearly  ses- 
sile, rather  small,  pale  blue,  rarely  flesh-colored,  appearing  in  midsummer. 

Habitat. — On  dry  hills  and  in  open  woods  ;  common  both  in  this  coun- 
try and  in  Europe  and  Asia. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — not  ofiicial. 

These  two  species  of  veronica,  differing  very  widely  in  habit,  represent 
the  medicinal  characters  of  the  genus.  V.  virginica  stands,  as  it  were, 
alone,  all  other  species  resembling  each  other  to  a  greater  or  less  extent. 

Constituents. — Leptandra  contains,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  constitu- 
ents of  plants,  a  peculiar  crystalline  principle,  leptandrin,  having  the  bitter 
and  nauseous  taste  of  the  crude  drug.  Speedwell  also  contains  a  bitter 
jDrinciple,  but  whether  similar  to,  or  identical  with  that  of  leptandra  has 
not  been  determined. 

Preparations. — Of  lejDtandra  :  Extractum  leptandrse — extract  of  lep- 
tandra ;  extractum  leptandrse  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  leptandra. — 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  There  is  also  a  commercial  preparation,  er- 
roneously called  lei^tandrin,  prepared  by  precipitation  from  the  alcoholic 
tincture.      Sj)eedwell  is  commonly  administered  in  infusion  or  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — When  fresh,  le^Dtandra  acts  as  a  violent 
emeto-cathartic,  too  violent,  indeed,  to  be  used  with  safety.  When  dried, 
its  drastic  properties  are  much  modified,  and  in  this  condition  it  is  said  to 
be  laxative  and  cholagogue.  It  is  used  in  disorders  of  the  digestive  sys- 
tem, especially  when  accompanied  by  hepatic  torjDor. 


MENTHA MINT.  207 

Speedwell  has  been  considered  diaphoretic,  diuretic,  expectorant,  etc., 
but  is  seldom  employed,  and  probably  possesses  very  little  medicinal 
virtue. 

LABIAT/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  rarely  undershrubs,  with  square  stems, 
and  opi^osite,  exstipulate  leaves.  Calyx  tubular,  5-  to  10-toothed  or  2- 
lipped,  persistent.  Corolla  more  or  less  2-lij)ped  ;  the  upper  lip  2-lobed,  or 
sometimes  entire  ;  the  lower  3-lobed.  Stamens  4,  didynamous,  or  by  abor- 
tion 2,  inserted  on  the  tube  of  the  corolla.  Ovary  deeply  4-lobed  ;  style  2- 
lobed  at  the  apex.  Fruit  4  seed-like  nutlets  or  achenia,  enclosed  in  the 
calyx. 

Foliage  commonly  dotted  with  glands  containing  aromatic  volatile  oil. 
Flowers  axillary,  chiefly  in  cymose  clusters,  and  these  frequently  aggre- 
gated in  terminal  spikes  or  racemes. 

A  very  large  order  of  aromatic  plants,  wholly  destitute  of  deleterious 
or  poisonous  properties.  Very  many  of  them  have  been  cultivated  for 
culinary  or  medicinal  purposes  from  time  immemorial,  hence  a  large  per- 
centage of  the  valuable  species  at  present  inhabiting  North  America  have 
iDeen  introduced. 

TEUCRIUM.  — Geumander. 

Teucrium  Canadense  Linnu. — American  Germander,  Wood-Sage. 

Description. — Calyx  oblique,  unequally  5-toothed.  Corolla  with  the  4 
upper  lobes  nearly  equal,  oblong,  turued  forward  ;  the  lower  much  larger. 
Stamens  4,  exserted  from  a  cleft  between  the  two  uj^per  lobes  of  the  corolla. 

An  herbaceous  perennial.  Stem  ei*ect,  1  to  3  feet  high.  Leaves  ovate- 
lanceolate,  acute,  serrate,  rounded  at  the  base,  petiolate  ;  the  upper  ones 
scarcely  longer  than  the  calyx.  Both  stem  and  leaves  hoary-pubescent. 
Flowers  joale  purple  to  white,  in  whorls  of  about  G,  crowded  in  a  long  sim- 
ple raceme  ;  they  appear  about  midsummer. 

Habitat. — In  low  ground  from  Canada  to  Florida. 

Parts  Used. — The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents. — A  volatile  oil,  a  bitter  principle,  and  tannin. 

Preparations. — Commonly  employed  in  infusion. 

Medical  Proi^erties  and  Uses. — Germander,  both  American  and  Euroi^ean 
species,  possesses  the  stimulant  and  aromatic  properties  of  labiate  i:)lants 
generally,  and  has  been  employed  as  a  diaphoretic,  diuretic,  emmenagogue, 
«tc. 

MENTHA.— :Mint. 

Character  of  the  Genus.— Calyx  5-toothed,  regular  or  nearly  so.  Corolla 
bell-shaped,  with  a  short  tube,  the  margin  nearly  equally  4-lobed.  Stamens 
4,  erect,  equidistant. 


208 


LABIAT.E. 


PereDiiial  herbs  with  flowers  iu  dense  whorls,  arranged  in  terminal  or 
axillary  heads  or  spikes.     Corolla  pale  purple  or  whitish. 

Mentha  piperita  Linne. — Feppermini. 

Descrijytion. — Smooth.  Stem  erect,  1  to  2  feet  high.  Leaves  ovate-ob- 
long, and  lanceolate,  serrate,  petiolate.  Inflorescence  mostly  terminal,  ia 
interrupted  heads  or  spikes. 


Fig.  113.— Mentha  piperita. 


Fig.  144. — Mentha  viridis. 


Habitat. — Naturalized  from  Europe;  growing  in  low  grounds  and  wet 
places.  It  is  extensively  cultivated  iu  some  sections  of  the  country,  nota- 
bly in  Wayne  County,  New  York,  for  the  sake  of  its  volatile  oil.  It  multi- 
plies rapidly  by  means  of  underground  shoots. 

Mentha  viridis  Linne. — Spearmint. 

Description. — Nearly  smooth.  Stem  erect,  1  to  2  feet  high.  Leaves 
oblong-lanceolate,  acute,  unequally  serrate,  nearly  sessile.  Inflorescence 
termi-nal,  in  narrow,  interrupted  spikes. 

Habitat. — Naturalized  from  Europe  ;  growing  in  damp  soil  along  road- 
sides and  in  waste  places. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  tops  of  both  species — United  States 
Pharmacopceia. 

Constituents. — The  only  important  constituent  of  mint  is  its  volatile 
oil. 


LYCOPUS WATER    IIOREHOTIND.  209 

tions. — Of  jDeppermint :  Aqua  ineutlific  i)iperitpe — peppermiut 
water ;  oleum  mentbse  piperitse — oil  of  peppermiut ;  spiritus  lueutluo 
piperitse — spii*it  of  peppermiut;  trochisci  meutlije  piperitoe— troches  of 
peppermint.  Of  spearmiut :  Aquae  menthte  viridis— ^spearmint  water  ; 
oleum  meuthae  viridis — oil  of  spearmint ;  spiritus  mentlue  viridis — spirit 
of  spearmint. —  United  States  Pharmacopreia.  Both  species  are  also  fre- 
quently used  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  aromatic,  stimulant,  and  carminative 
properties  of  peppermint  and  spearmint  render  them  useful  in  a  great  va- 
riety of  gastric  and  intestinal  disorders  characterized  by  colic  pains.  The 
only  ditference  between  them  is  one  of  degree,  spearmint  acting  much 
more  mildly  than  pej^permint,  and  its  flavor  being  to  some  people  more 
agreeable. 

LYCOPUS.— Wateii  Horeiiound. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  4-  to  5-toothed.  Corolla  nearly  equally 
4-lobed,  about  the  length  of  the  calyx.  Stamens  2,  with  rudiments  of  2 
more.     Achenia  truncate  at  the  apex. 

Perennial  herbs  resembling  mints,  but  wanting  their  aroma,  and  having 
but  2  perfect  stamens. 

Lycopus  VirginicLis  JjinnC^^Bugleiveed. 

Description. — Calyx-teeth  4,  ovate,  obtuse,  without  a  spine,  shorter 
than  the  achenia.  Stem  6  to  18  inches  high,  obtusely  4-angled.  Leaves 
broadly-lanceolate,  serrate,  tapering  at  both  ends,  short  petioled.  Entire 
plant  smooth,  often  purj)lish.  Flowers  very  small,  in  small  capitate  clus- 
ters, appearing  in  midsummer. 

Habitat. — In  wet  places  ;  common. 

Lycopus  Europceus  Linne. —  Water  Horehound. 

Description. — Calyx-teeth  5,  triangular-lanceolate,  rigid  and  pointed, 
longer  than  the  achenia.  Stem  1  to  2  feet  high,  sharpl}'  4-augled,  Leaves 
oblong-lanceolate,  or  lance-ovate,  acute,  sinuate-toothed  or  pinnatifid, 
more  or  less  i^etiolate.  Flowers  small  and  yevj  numerous,  in  dense  axil- 
lary whorls.     A  very  variable  species. 

Habitat. — In  wet  places  ;  common  both  here  and  in  Europe. 

Parts   Used. — The  herb  of  both  species — not  oiJicial. 

Constituents. — These  plants  probably  possess  the  ordinary  constituents 
of  the  labiatae,  though  there  is  evidently  much  less  volatile  oil  than  in 
many  plants  of  the  order,  and  more  bitterness. 

Preparations. — Commonly  administered  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Bugleweed  is  said  to  be  sedative,  tonic, 
astringent,  and  narcotic,  but  upon  what  authority  it  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine. AVater  horehound  is  said  to  be  remedial  in  intermittent  fever,  but 
the  authority  for  the  statement  is  doubtful.  By  virtue  of  their  bitterness, 
both  these  plants  may  probably  produce  tonic  effects  ;  and  through  their 


210  LABIATE. 

volatile  oil  they  may  relieve  colic  pains,  as  do  tlie  labiatse  generally,  but 
that  either  of  them  is  directly  narcotic,  sedative,  or  specific,  is  extremely 
improbable. 

CUNIL  A. —Dittany. 

Cunila  Mariana  Linne. — Dittany. 

Description. — Calyx  equally  5-toothed,  the  throat  densely  hair}^  Co- 
rolla twice  as  long  as  the  calyx,  2-lipped  ;  the  upper  lip  erect,  flat,  emargi- 
nate  ;  the  lower  3-cleft,  spreading.     Stamens  2,  erect,  exserted,  distant. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stems  tufted,  1  to  2  feet  high,  much  branched,  pur- 
plish. Leaves  ovate,  seiTate,  subsessile.  Flowers  purplish,  in  corymbed 
cymes  or  clusters,  appearing  in  midsummer. 

Habitat. — In  dry,  open  woods,  fi'om  New  York  to  Illinois  and  southward. 

Parts  Used. — The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents. — A  very  fragrant  volatile  oil,  and  ordinai'y  constituents  of 
the  labiativ. 

Prejyarations. — Commonly  used  in  infusion. 

Medical.  Properties  and  Uses. — Dittany  acts,  in  every  essential  particular,, 
like  the  mints,  and  is  used  for  the  same  purposes. 

PYCNANTHEMUM.— Mountain  Mint. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  tubular  10-  to  15-nerved,  equally  5- 
toothed  or  with  the  3  upper  teeth  more  or  less  united.  Corolla  2-lipped  ; 
the  u^Dper  lip  nearly  entire  ;  the  lower  trifid,  the  middle  lobe  longest,  all 
of  them  ovate,  obtuse.     Stamens  4,  distant,  the  lower  pair  longer. 

Erect,  rigid,  perennial  herbs,  corymbosely  branched  above.  Flowers 
numerous,  in  dense  whorls,  usually  forming  terminal  heads  or  close  cymes, 

Pycnanthemum  incanum  Michaux. — Mountain  Mint. 

Descrip)tion. — Calyx  2-lipiDed,  the  teeth,  together  with  the  bracts,  awl- 
shaped,  and  bearded  with  spreading  hairs. 

Stem  erect,  2  to  4  feet  high.  Leaves  oblong-ovate,  acute,  remotely 
toothed,  downy  above  and  hoary-tomentose  beneath,  the  floral  ones  whit- 
ened both  sides.  Flowers  joale  red,  dotted  with  purple,  in  dense,  flattened, 
comiDound  cymes,  appearing  in  July  and  August 

Habitat. — Kocky  woods  and  barrens  from  New  England  to  Michigan 
and  southward. 

Pycnanthemum  linifolium  Pursh. —  Virginia  Thyme. 

Description.  — Calyx  equally  5-toothed,  the  teeth  pointed.  Corolla  very 
short. 

Stem  erect,  1  to  2  feet  high.  Leaves  narrow,  sessile,  entire,  rigid^ 
crowded  and  clustered  in  the  axils.  Flowers  whitish,  collected  in  dense, 
globular,  often  fascicled  heads,  crowded  in  terminal  cymes,  appearing  in 
Auefust. 


COLLINSONI A IIOKSE-BALM.  211 

Habitat. — Massachusetts  to  Illinois  and  soutliwaixl. 

Parts  Used. — The  herb — uot  official. 

Constituents. — Mouutain-mint  has  a  taste  intermediate  between  that  of 
pennyroyal  and  spearmint,  due  to  its  volatile  oil,  its  only  important  con- 
stituent. Virginia  thyme  has  much  less  aroma,  and  more  bitterness  ;  it 
contains  volatile  oil,  tannin,  a  bitter  principle,  etc. 

Preparations. — Used  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  above-described  species  of  pycuan- 
themum,  together  with  several  others  of  similar  j)roperties,  have  been  used 
medicinally  to  a  limited  extent,  for  the  same  purposes  as  other  labiate 
plants  are  employed.  As  they  are  less  agreeable  than  many  others  of  the 
order  in  common  use,  and  are  certainly  no  more  efficient,  they  do  not  de- 
mand serious  attention. 


HEDEOMA.— Mock  Pennyroyai,. 

Hedeoma  pulegioides  Persoon. — American  Pennyroyal. 

Description. — Calyx  13-nerved,  gibbous  at  the  base,  2-lippecl,  the 
throat  bearded  ;  the  upper  lip  3-toothed  ;  the  lower  2-cleft  and  spined. 
Corolla  2 -lipped  ;  the  upj)er  lip  erect,  flat,  notched  at  the  apex  ;  the  lower 
3-lobed,  spreading.     Stamens  2  fertile  and  2  rudimentary. 

A  low  annual.  Stem  erect,  G  inches  high,  branching.  Leaves  oblong- 
ovate,  obscurely  serrate,  petiolate.  Flowers  bluish,  in  few-flowered,  axiUaiy 
whorls,  appearing  throughout  the  summer. 

Habitat.— bx  dry  fields  and  open  woods  ;  everywhere  common. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  tops. —  United  States  Pharmax:opooeia. 

Constituents. — Its  chief  and  only  important  constituent  is  an  aromatic 
volatile  oil. 

Preparations. — Oleum  hedeomae — oil  of  hedeoma  {oil  of  pennyroyal). — 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia.     It  is  often  administered  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Pennyroyal  is  an  aromatic  stimulant, 
long  used  in  flatulence,  and  to  stimulate  menstruation.  In  the  latter  case 
it  is  not  to  be  considered  as  exerting,  in  any  sense,  a  specific  action,  but 
simply  as  stimulating  the  secretions  through  its  general  stimulant  proper- 
ties, and  not  through  any  special  action  upon  the  organs  engaged  in  the 
function  of  menstx'uation. 

COLLINSONI  A. —House-Balm. 

Collinsonia  Canadensis  Linue. — Horse-Balm,  Stone-Root. 

Description. — Calyx  2-lipped  ;  the  upper  hp  8-toothed,  the  lower  2-cleft. 
Corolla  greenish-yellow,  somewhat  2-lipped,  the  throat  expanded  ;  the 
upper  lip  nearly  equally  4-lobed,  the  lower  much  larger,  the  margin 
fringed.     Stamens  2,  rarely  4,  much  exserted. 


212  labiatyE. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  2  to  3  feet  high,  somewhat  branching  above. 
Leaves  3  to  8  inches  long  and  3  to  4  inches  broad,  ovate,  serrate,  acumi- 
nate, the  lower  on  long  petioles,  the  upper  almost  or  quite  sessile.  Flowers 
racemose,  the  racemes  disj^osed  in  a  large  panicle  ;  they  appear  in  summer 
and  early  autumn. 

Habitat. — In  rich,  moist  woods  ;  common. 

I^arts  Used.— The  root  and  liex'b— not  official. 

Constituents. — When  bruised  this  plant  has  a  strong,  somewhat  dis- 
agreeable odor,  faintly  suggestive  of  a  lemon  or  lime.  Like  other  labiates 
its  chief  important  constituent  is  a  volatile  oil.  The  constituents  of  the 
root  have  not  been  ascertained. 

Preparations. — Employed  in  infusion  and  tincture. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Stone-root  is  said  to  be  diuretic  and 
tonic,  and,  as  its  name  implies,  useful  in  calculous  affections.  It  cer- 
tainly possesses  stimulant  properties  similar  to  those  of  many  other  labiate 
plants,  but  whether  anything  beyond  this  is,  as  yet,  a  matter  of  conjecture. 
The  leaves  doubtless  owe  all  their  efficacy  to  their  volatile  oil. 

MONAKD  A.— Horse-Mint. 

Monarda  punctata  Linne. — Horse-Mint. 

Descrijjtion. — Calyx  tubular,  elongated,  somewhat  curved,  nearly  equally 
5-toothed,  haii-y  in  the  throat.  Corolla  elongated,  strongly  2-lipped,  upper 
lij)  erect,  linear,  the  lower  spreading,  3-lobed,  the  lateral  lobes  ovate,  ob- 
tuse, the  middle  one  narrower.  Stamens  2,  inserted  in  the  throat  of  the 
<  oroUa,  not  longer  than  its  upper  lip. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  2  to  3  feet  high,  branching,  whitened  by  a  fine 
pubescence.  Leaves  lanceolate,  tapering  to  a  point,  petiolate.  Flowers 
yellowish,  the  upper  lip  spotted  with  purple,  in  a  few  dense  whorled 
heads,  surrounded  with  bracts  ;  they  appear  late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  sandy  soil  from  New  York  to  Illinois  and  southward. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents. — A  j)ungent  volatile  oil. 

Preparations. — Oleum  monardf?e — oil  of  monarda.  Formerly  official. 
It  is  also  employed  in  infusion. 

Medical  P^ojierties  and  Zlfes. — Horse-mint  is,  like  other  labiates,  stimu- 
lating and  aromatic.  Like  them  also  it  is  employed  to  relieve  colic  pains, 
and  in  hot  infusion  to  induce  diaphoresis,  and  to  stimulate  the  menstrual 
function. 

NEPETA.  —Catmint. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  tubular,  15-nerved,  obliquely  5-toothed, 
the  upper  teeth  usually  longest.  Corolla  dilated  in  the  throat,  2  lijDped  ; 
the  upper  lip  erect,  slightly  concave,  notched  or  2-lobed,  the  lower  spread- 


SCUTELLAEIA SKULLCAP. 


213 


ing,  3-lobed.     Stamens  4,  in  pairs   under  the  upper  lip,  the  upper  pair 
longer. 

Nepeta  Cataria  Limu'. — Catnip,  Gafmwt. 

Description. — A  perennial  herb  1  to  2  feet  high.  Leaves  ovate-cordate, 
acuminate,  coarsely  serrate,  petiolate,  whitish  downy  underneath.  Flow- 
ers whitish,  dotted  with  pur- 
ple, in  compact  cymes,  form- 
ing short,  oblong  spikes  at 
the  ends  of  the  branches; 
they  appear  in  summer  and 
autumn. 

Habitat. — In  waste  places 
about  dwellings  ;  naturalized 
from  Europe. 

Nepeta  Glee  ho  ma 
Bentham. — Ground  Ivy,  Gill- 
over-the-ground. 

Description. — A  more  or 
less  hairy  perennial  herb, 
creeping  and  rooting  at  the 
base.  Leaves  orbicular  or 
reniform,  crenate,  petiolate, 
green  both  sides.  Flowers 
blue,  in  axiUary  whorls  of 
about  6,  appearing  early  in 
spring  and  summer. 

Haljitat. — In  waste  places 
about  dwellings  ;  naturalized  from  Europe. 

Part  Used. — The  herb  of  both  species — not  official. 

Constituents.  — Their  only  important  constituents  are  their  volatile  oils. 

3'Iedical  Properties  and  Uses. — Catnip  is  chiefly  used  for  its  stimulant 
effect  in  the  flatulent  colic  of  infants,  and,  in  hot  infusion,  to  promote 
menstruation.  Ground  ivy  formerly  had  some  reputation  in  catan-hal 
affections  and  in  pulmonary  consumption,  but  without  substantial  founda- 
tion, for  there  is  no  evidence  to  support  the  idea  that  it  possesses  prop- 
erties essentially  different  from  those  of  the  labiattu  generally. 


Fig.  145.— Nopeta  Glcchoma. 


SCUTELLARIA.  —Skullcap. 


Scutellaria  lateriflora  'Lmnd.—StuUcap. 

Description.— Caljx  bell-shaped,  2-lipped,  the  lips  entire,  the  upper 
one  with  a  helmet-Hke  appendage  on  the  back,  and  closed  after  flowering. 
Corolla  2-hpped,  the  upper  lip  vaulted,  the  lower  dilated,  spreading,  con- 
vex, notched  at  the  apex.     Stamens  4,  ascending  under  the  upper  lip. 


214  LABIATiE. 

A  perennial  lierb.  Stem  erect,  much  branched,  nearly  smooth,  1  to  2 
feet  high.  Leaves  ovate-lanceolate,  acuminate,  serrate,  petiolate.  Flow- 
ers small,  blue,  in  axillary  and  terminal,  one-sided  racemes,  appearing 
late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  wet,  shady  places  ;  common. 

Part  Used. — The  herb — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — Skullcai)  has  less  volatile  oil  and  more  bitterness  than 
most  other  labiate  plants,  but  possesses  no  constituents  essentially  differ- 
ent from  them. 

Preparations. — Extractum  scuteUariiu  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  Scu- 
tellaria,—  United  States  Pharmacopoeia.     Commonly  used  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — This  and  several  unofficial  species  of 
skullcap  have  at  various  times  been  esteemed  of  medicinal  value,  but  on 
what  would  appear  to  be  doubtful  testimony.  They  are  almost  or  quite 
destitute  of  aromatic  projDerties,  so  common  in  labiates,-  and  hence,  one 
would  suppose,  less  efficient  than  many  other  plants  of  the  order  whose 
medicinal  virtues  reside  in  their  essential  oils.  Again,  the  diseases  in 
which  Scutellaria  has  been  found  most  efficient,  namely,  hysteria  and 
hydrophobia,  add  not  a  little  to  one's  scepticism.  Hysteria  we  know  is 
quite  as  often  amenable  to  moral  treatment  as  to  drugs  ;  and  much  of  the 
hydrophobia  which  has  been  cured  has  been  undoubtedly  of  a  purely 
imaginary  character.  If,  then,  these  plants  do  really  possess  any  valuable 
medicinal  pi'operties,  the  fact  is  yet  to  be  demonstrated. 

M  AllRUBIUM.  — HoKEiiouND. 

Marrubium  vulgare  Linnu. — Horehound. 

Description. — Calyx  tubular,  5-  to  10-nerved,  5-  to  10-toothed,  the 
teeth  spiny,  the  alternate  ones  shorter.  Corolla  2-lipped  ;  upper  lip  erect, 
ilattish  or  concave,  notched  ;  the  lower  spreading,  3-lobed,  the  middle 
lobe  bx-oadest.     Stamens  4,  included  in  the  tube  of  the  coroUa. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  ascending,  hoary-pubescent,  branching  at  the 
base,  1  to  2  feet  high.  Leaves  roundish  ovate,  crenate,  petiolate.  Flowers, 
white,  in  capitate  whorls,  appearing  late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  waste  places  ;  naturalized  from  Europe. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  io\)H— United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — Volatile  oil,  a  peculiar  bitter  principle,  marrubiin,  and 
common  vegetable  princijoles. 

Preparations. — Commonly  administered  in  infusion,  or  sjTup. 

Medical  Properties  and  L'ses. —Horehound  is  stimulant,  tonic,  and 
slightly  laxative.  In  warm  infusion  it  produces  diaphoresis,  and  is  often 
used  in  this  manner  in  the  early  stages  of  colds  ;  while  its  tonic  influence, 
when  taken  cold,  has  been  found  serviceable  in   chi-onic  pulmonary  dis- 


IPOM(EA.  215 

LEOXURUS.  — MoTiiEinvoRT. 

Leonurus  Cardiaca  JAnne.—Moihenvort. 

Description. — Calyx  5-nerved,  5-toothed,  the  teeth  when  old  stiff  and 
prickly.  Corolla  2-lipped  ;  the  upper  lip  erect,  concave,  entire  ;  the  lower 
3-lobed,  spreading.  Stamens  4,  ascending  under  the  upper  lip  of  the  co- 
rolla. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  erect,  sUghtly  hairy,  2  to  4  feet  high.  Leaves 
long-petioled  ;  the  lower  rounded,  palmately  lobed  ;  the  upper  cuueate  at 
the  base,  3-cleft,  the  lobes  lanceolate.  Flowers  pale  purple,  in  close  axil- 
lary whorls,  appearing  in  summer. 

Fart  Used. — ^The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents. — Volatile  oil,  a  bitter  principle,  and  common  vegetable 
constituents. 

Preparations. — Commonly  administered  in  infusion. 

lledical  Properties  and  l^ses. — Motherwort  is  stimulant  and  slightly 
tonic.     In  warm  infusion  it  is  occasionally  tised  to  promote  diaphoresis. 

CONVOLVULACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Chiefly  twining  or  trailing  herbs,  rarely 
shrubby,  with  alternate  leaves  or  scales.  Calyx  of  5  imbricated  sepals. 
CoroUa  monopetalous,  5-plaited  or  5-lobed,  convolute  in  the  bud.  Sta- 
mens 5,  inserted  in  the  tube  of  the  corolla.  Ovary  free,  2-,  rarely  3-ceUed 
or  sometimes  4-celled  by  a  false  partition.     Fruit  a  2-  to  6-seeded  cajisule. 

A  large  order  of  mostly  troj)ical  plants,  many  of  which  are  cultivated 
for  ornament,  and  several,  as  jalap  and  scammony,  possess  important  me- 
dicinal properties. 

IPOMCEA. 

Ipomcea  pandurata  Meyer — Wild  Potato-Vine,  Man-of-the-Earth. 

Description. — Calyx:  sepals  ovate-oblong,  obtuse,  smooth.  Corolla 
open  funnel-form,  3  inches  long,  white,  the  tube  tinged  with  j)urple.  Sta- 
mens included.      Capsule  2-celled,  4-seeded. 

An  herbaceous  perennial  with  a  very  large  thick  root.  Stems  long  and 
stout,  trailing  or  twining.  Leaves  cordate,  entire,  somewhat  acuminate,  on 
long  r'jtioles.  Peduncles  longer  than  the  petioles,  1-  to  5-flowered.  The 
flowers  are  produced  during  summer. 

Habitat. — In  sandy  fields  from  Connecticut  to  Illinois  and  southward. 

Fart  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  fresh  root,  when  wounded,  emits  a  milky,  resinous 
juice  which  probably  contains  its  active  princij^le. 

Preparations. — It  has  been  administered  in  powder  and  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — This  plant,  generically  allied  with  jalap 


216 


SOLANACE^. 


{Tpomo'a  Jalapa),  possesses  similar  properties,  but  of  a  much  less  active 
character.  It  has  been  used  to  a  limited  extent  only,  for  it  is  much  less 
efficient  than  jalap  and  many  other  common  purgatives. 


SOLANACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  rarely  shrubs,  with  colorless  juice  and 
alternate  leaves.  Flowers  generally  regular,  5-merous,  on  pedicels  without 
bracts.  Calyx  commonly  persistent.  Corolla  monopetalous,  valvate  or  con- 
volute in  the  bud,  often  plaited.  Stamens  inserted  in  the  tube  of  the 
corolla,  equal  in  number  to,  and  alternate  with  its  lobes.  Ovary  free, 
2-celled  ;  style  and  stigma  single.     Fruit  a  berry  or  pod. 

A   large   order   of   chiefly  tropical   plants.     In    general    they  contain 

narcotic  principles  ;  a  few  of 
them,  as  the  potato,  tomato, 
and  egg-plant,  afford  impor- 
tant articles  of  food.  Very 
few  of  the  strictly  North 
American  species  deserve 
mention  ;  those  described  be- 
low, though  mostly  intro- 
duced, are  so  widely  diffused, 
and  most  of  them  so  impor- 
tant, that  they  may  well  be 
considered,  for  our  purposes, 
as  indigenous. 

SOLANUM.  —Nightshade. 


Solanum    Dulcamara 

Linnc. — Bittersiveet. 

Description. — Calyx  per- 
sistent, 5-lobed,  the  lobes  ob- 
tuse, purple.  Corolla  ro- 
tate, 5-lobed,  the  lobes  acute, 
reflexed,  purple,  with  two 
green  spots  at  the  base  ;  the 
anthers  yellow.     Berry  small. 


Fig.  146. — Solanum  Dulcamara. 


tube  very  short.     Stamens  5,  short,  black 
ovoid  or  globular,  red,  several-seeded. 

A  somewhat  shrubby  perennial.  Stems  flexuous,  traiUng  or  climbing, 
often  several  feet  in  length.  Leaves  petiolate,  ovate  or  ovate-lanceolate, 
2  to  3  inches  long,  the  lower  entire,  the  upper  often  with  a  small  lobe  or 
segment  on  each  side,  glabrous  or  downy.  Flowers  rather  small,  in  loose 
cymes  on  lateral  peduncles  shorter  than  the  leaves,  appearing  in  midsum- 
mer ;  they  have  a  heavy  narcotic  odor. 


PHYSALIS — GROUND  CHERRY.  217 

Habitat. — lu  moist  situations  ;  common.     Litroduced  from  Europe. 

Farts  Used. — The  young  branches — United  States  Pharmacopueia. 

Gunstituents. — As  its  common  name  indicates,  this  plant  has  a  taste 
which  is  first  bitter,  then  sweet.  Its  only  important  constituent  thus  far 
discovered  is  a  peculiar  principle  termed  dulcamaria  ;  this  has,  to  an  intense 
degree,  the  taste  of  the  plant. 

Preparations. — Extractum  dulcamara)  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  dul- 
camara.—  United  States  Fharniacopoeia.  The  plant  is  frequently  adminis- 
tered in  decoction. 

Medical  Pi'operties  and  Uses. — Bittersweet,  in  full  doses,  produces  a 
certain  amount  of  cerebral  disturbance  of  a  narcotic  chai'acter,  together 
with  dryness  of  the  throat,  and  sometimes  an  erythematous  eruption  of  the 
skin,  with  a  tendency  to  diaphoresis.  It  has  been  employed  with  benefit  in 
a  variety  of  cutaneous  eruptions,  in  muscular  rheumatism,  and  in  chronic 
bronchial  and  ijulmonary  afiections. 

This  plant  should  be  carefully  distinguished  from  Woody  Bittersweet 
(Celastrus  scandens),  which  see. 

Another  species  of  this  genus,  S.  nigrum  Linne  {Black  Nightshade),  also 
introduced,  and  very  common  in  waste  places  aroimd  dwellings,  is  said  to 
possess  similar  properties. 

PHYSALIS.— Ground  Cherry. 

Character  of  the  Gemis.— Calyx  5-cleft,  persistent,  enlarging  after  flower- 
ing, and  at  length  enclosing  the  berry.  Corolla  wheel-shaped  or  bell- 
shaped,  with  a  very  short  tube,  the  margin  5-lobed.  Stamens  5,  enclosed 
in  the  tube  of  the  corolla.  Fiiiit  a  succulent,  2-celled  berry.  Annual  or 
perennial  herbs. 

Physalis  Alkekengi  Linnc. — Strawherry  Tomato,  Winter  Cherry. 

Description.— Gixlyx-ieeih.  awl-shaped  ;  fruiting  calyx  much  inflated, 
membranaceous,  turning  red  at  maturity.  Corolla-tube  very  short,  cover- 
ing the  stamens.     Berry  globular,  bright  red,  edible. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  1  to  1^  foot  high,  sparingly  branched,  more  or 
less  pubescent.  Leaves  large,  broadly  ovate;  pointed,  somew^hat  narrowed 
at  the  base.  Flowers  solitary,  axillary,  greenish-white,  appearing  late  in 
summer. 

Habitat. — Introduced  from  Europe  ;  cultivated,  and  naturahzed  in  waste 
places. 

Physalis  Pennsylvanica  Linne. 

Description. — Calyx-lobes  variable  ;  fruiting  calyx  conical  or  globular- 
ovate,  pointed,  with  an  impressed  base.  Corolla  5-angled  or  barely  5-  to 
10-toothed  ;  the  tube  marked  with  five  concave  spots.     Berry  red. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stem  1  foot  high,  erect  or  diffuse,  minutely  pubes- 
cent or  nearly  glabrous.     Leaves  ovate,  oblong,  or  oblong-lanceolate  and 


218 


SOLANACEiE. 


taj)ering  at  the  base,  entire  or  sparingly  repand-toothed.     Flowers  solitary, 
axillary,  greenisli-j'ellow,  darker  in  the  centre,  appearing  late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  dry  or  sandy  soil,  from  Pennsylvania  to  Florida  and  west- 
ward. 

Parts  Used. — The  Jierb  and  fruit  of  C.  Alkekeugi — not  official. 
Constituents. — The   herb  contains  a  i^eculiar  bitter  princij)le  termed 
physalin  ;  the  beri'ies  sugar  and  citric  acid. 

Preparations. — The  herb  has  been  emj^loyed  in  powder,  decoction,  and 
vinous  tincture  ;  the  fruit,  fresh,  or  di'ied  and  powdered. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Physalis  appears  to  be  entirely  destitute 
of  acrid  and  narcotic  properties,  so  common  in  the  solanacese.  Alkekengi, 
by  virtue  of  its  bitter  princii^le,  appears  to  be  tonic  and  febrifuge.  It  has 
been  employed  in  Europe  in  intermittents  with  satisfactory  results.  The 
berries  are  pleasant  to  the  taste,  and  are  cultivated  for  the  same  purposes 
as  other  small  fruits  of  the  garden.     They  have  been  employed  medicinally 

in  urinary  diseases,  and  in  gout, 
but,  considering  their  constitu- 
ents, one  would  not  naturally 
expect  them  to  be  very  active. 

The  indigenous  species  above 
described  probably  possesses 
similar  proj)erties.  Several 
other  North  American  species 
might  also  be  included  in  the 
same  statement. 

HYOSCY  AMUS.  —Henbane. 

Hyoscyamus  niger  LimK'. 

■ — Henbane. 

Description.  —  Calyx  b  e  1 1  - 
shaped  or  urn-shaj)ed,  5-lobed, 
persistent,  the  lobes  broad,  stiff, 
almost  prickly.  Corolla  funnel- 
form,  about  1  inch  long,  the 
border  5-lobed,  and  more  or  less  plaited.  Stamens  declined.  Capsule 
globular,  enclosed  in  the  persistent  and  enlarged  calj-x,  2-celled,  many- 
seeded,  opening  by  a  lid  at  the  top. 

An  annual  or  biennial  herb,  erect,  1  to  2  feet  high,  more  or  less  hairy 
and  viscid,  with  a  fetid,  nauseous  smell.     Leaves  rather  large,  sessile  ;  the 
upper  ones  clasping,  ovate,  irregularly  jiinnatifid.     Flowers  sessile,  in  one- 
sided leafy  sjiikes  ;  corolla  pale  dingy -yellow,  with  purplish  vines. 
Habitat. — Inti'oduced  from  Europe  ;  naturalized  in  waste  j^laces. 
Parts    Used. — The  leaves  collected  from   plants  of  the   second  years' 


Fig.  147. — Hyoscyamus  niger. 


DATURA. 


211) 


growth — United  States^  Pharmacopada.     The  seeds  are  also  eniploveJ,  and 
were  formerly  official. 

ConslitaenL^.—The  only  really  important  constituent  of  henbane  ap- 
pears to  be  the  alkaloid  hyoscyamia. 

Preparations. — Abstractum  hyoscyami — abstract  of  hyoscyamus  ;  ex- 
tractum  hyoscyami  alcoholicum — alcoholic  extract  of  hyoscyamus  ;  ex- 
tractum  hyoscyami  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  hyoscyamus  ;  tinctura  hyos- 
cyami— tincture  of  hyoscyamus  ;  hyoscyaminte  sulphas — sulphate  of  hy- 
oscyamine.  —  United  States  Pharmacopceia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Hyoscyamus  is  anodyne  and  hyjjnotic, 
and  is  used  in  a  great  variety  of  cases  requiring  a  soothing  effect  upon  the 
nervous  system.  In  general  terms,  it  may  be  said  to  have  been  employed 
formerly  in  nearly  the  same  class  of  cases  in  which  chloral  and  the  bro- 
mides are  at  present  so  largely  used.  As  an  anodyne  it  is  much  less  power- 
ful than  opium,  but  has  the  advantage  of  being  laxative  rather  than  con- 
stipating, and  of  producing  no  unpleasant  after-effects.  As  a  hypnotic  it 
is  less  efficient  than  chloral,  ,  ^ 

but  also  less  dangerous,  and  ,.  / 

much  less  hkely  to  lead  to 
the  i^ernicious  habit  of  tak- 
ing sleeping  potions. 

Much  of  the  imcertainty 
attributed  to  hyoscyamus  is 
doubtless  due  to  inefficient 
preparations,  made  from  old 
and  inert  specimens  of  the 
drug.  Even  hyoscyamia,  the 
active  principle,  is  rather 
unstable  and  unreliable. 
Hence  it  is  desirable  that 
l^reparations  should  be  made 
from  the  recent  herb  if  pos- 
sible. 

DATURA. 

Datura     Stramonium 

Linne. — Stramonium,  Tfiorn- 
Apple,  Jamestown  Weed. 

Description. — Calyx  tubular,  5-toothed,  the  upper  part  falling  off  after 
flowering,  while  a  small  portion  remains  as  a  circular  rim  about  the  base 
of  the  capsule.  Corolla  funnel-foim,  spreading,  plaited,  about  3  inches 
long,  white,  the  margin  5-toothed.  Fruit  a  globular,  very  prickly  capsule, 
4-valved,  2-celled,  each  cell  incompletely  divided  in'.o  2  others  by  a  false 


Fig.  148.— Datura  Stramonium. 


220  GENTIAXACEJE. 

partition  extending  nearly  to  the  top.  Seeds  very  numerous,  rather  large. 
Hat. 

A  coarse  glabrous  annual.  Stem  erect,  1  to  3  feet  high,  with  spread- 
ing, forked  branches,  green.  Leaves  rather  large,  ovate,  with  irregular, 
angular,  or  pointed  teeth  or  lobes.  Flowers  solitary,  on  short  peduncles, 
7D  the  forks  or  at  the  ends  of  the  branches  ;  they  have  a  sickening  odor. 

A  plant  differing  from  this  only  in  being  rather  more  robust,  and  in 
having  a  purplish  stem  and  pale  violet-purple  flowers,  is  recognized  by 
some  authors  as  a  distinct  species  under  the  name  Datura  Tatula  Linne. 

Habitat. — Common  in  waste  places.  D.  Stramonium  is  a  native  of 
Asia  ;  D.  Tatula  is  i-ather  doubtfully  attributed  to  tropical  America. 

Parts  Used. — The  leaves  and  seeds  of  D.  Stramonium — United  States 
Pharmacopveia.     D.  Tatula  is  just  as  efficient. 

Constituents. — The  most  important  constituent  of  stramonium  is  the  al- 
kaloid daturia,  which  is  found  in  all  jDarts  of  the  plant.  Daturia  produces 
eflects  similar  to  those  of  atropia,  and  is  said  by  some  chemists  to  be  a 
mixture  of  atropia  and  hyoscyamia. 

Preparations. — Of  the  leaves — no  official  prejDarations.  Of  the  seeds  : 
extractum  stramonii — extract  of  stramonium  ;  extractum  stramonii  fluidum 
■ — fluid  extract  of  stramonium  ;  tinctura  stramonii — tincture  of  stramo- 
nium ;  unguentum  stramonii— stramonium  ointment. —  United  States  PJiar- 
macoposia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — In  its  effects  upon  the  human  system  in 
a  state  of  health,  stramonium  closely  resembles  belladonna  ;  therapeuti- 
cally, however,  each  of  the  two  seems  to  have  a  sphere  of  its  own.  Stra- 
monium is  employed  chiefly  in  spasmodic  diseases,  j^articularly  those  affect- 
ing the  respiratory  organs.  It  is  probably  more  used  in  spasmodic  asthma 
than  in  all  other  diseases  taken  together.  Here  it  is  not  only  employed 
internally,  but  the  leaves  are  often  smoked,  the  smoke  being  inhaled,  with 
the  happiest  effect.  It  has  also  some  reputation  in  whooping-cough,  dys- 
menorrhoea,  renal  colic,  etc.  Externally  the  freshly  bruised  leaves  and 
ointment  are  often  emjjloyed  in  rheumatism  and  other  painful  affections. 

GENTIANACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs  with  opposite,  entire,  simple,  usually 
ribbed  leaves,  without  stipules.  Calyx  divided,  persistent.  Corolla  wither- 
ing-persistent, convolute,  rarely  imbricate  or  valvate  in  the  bud.  Stamens 
of  the  same  number  as  the  lobes  of  the  corolla,  alternate  with  them,  and 
inserted  on  its  tube.  Ovary  1-celled,  with  2  parietal  placentae,  or  with 
nearly  the  Avhole  inner  face  of  the  ovary  bearing  ovules  ;  style  1  ;  stigmas 
2.     Fruit  commonly  a  2-celled,  many-seeded  pod. 

A  large  order  of  plants,  generally  possessing  bitter  tonic  properties. 


FKASERA AMEKICAN    COLUMBO.  221 


SABBATIA.— American  Centaury. 

Sabbatia  angularis  Pursli. — American  Centaury. 

Description. — Calyx  cleepl}^  5-parted.  Corolla  deeply  5-parted,  the  oval 
lobes  twice  the  length  of  the  calyx.  Stamens  5,  inserted  on  the  short 
corolla-tube  ;  anthers  oblong,  soon  recurved.  Style  longer  than  the  sta- 
mens, decUned  ;  stigmas  2.     Capsule  1-celled,  2-valved. 

A  smooth  biennial.  Stem  erect,  1  to  2  feet  high,  square,  the  angles 
winged :,  branches  axillary,  opposite.  Leaves  ovate,  entire,  somewhat  cor- 
date and  clasping  at  the  base.  Flowers  numerous,  large  and  showy,  rose- 
pink,  forming  a  large  corymb  ;  they  appear  late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  rich  dry  soil  from  New  York  to  Illinois  and  southward. 

Part   Used. — The  herb — not  official. 

Constituents.  — This,  and  probably  all  other  species  of  sabbatia,  contains 
a  bitter  principle  Avhich  has  not,  as  yet,  been  isolated,  to  which  their  medici- 
nal vii'tue  is  due. 

Preparations. — Commonly  administered  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — American  centam-y  is  a  simple  bitter 
tonic.  It  was,  in  early  days,  used  in  intermittent  and  remittent  fevers, 
and  probably,  like  other  agents  of  the  same  class,  sometimes  with  curative 
effect.  At  present  it  is  seldom  employed,  though  it  might  doubtless  be 
occasionally  beneficial  as  a  promoter  of  the  appetite,  and  an  aid  to  diges- 
tion in  cases  of  debility  and  in  convalescence.  Several  other  indigenous 
sj)ecies  are  said  to  possess  similar  or  identical  j)roperties. 

FRASERA. — American  Columbo. 

Frasera  Carolinensis  Walter. — American  Columbo. 

Description. — Calyx  4-parted,  persistent.  CoixsUa  rotate,  4-parted,  the 
lobes  oblong,  mucronate,  each  with  a  depressed  fringed  gland  on  the  upper 
face.  Stamens  4,  alternate  with  the  lobes  of  the  corolla.  Style  persistent  ; 
stigmas  spreading.  Capsule  oval,  compressed,  1-celled,  2-valved  ;  seeds 
few,  large,  borne  on  the  margins  of  the  valves. 

A  smooth  perennial  herb,  with  a  large  sjjin die-shaped  root.  Stem  cylin- 
drical, erect,  3  to  8  feet  high,  with  leaves  and  branches  mostly  in  whorls 
of  four.  Leaves  sessile,  lance-oblong,  the  lowest  spatulate.  Flowers 
greenish-yellow,  dotted  with  purple,  in  cymes  disposed  in  a  large  pyram- 
idal panicle,  appearing  in  midsummer. 

Habitat. — In  rich  dry  soil,  from  Southern  New  York  to  Georgia  and 
westward. 

Part  Used. — The  root — formerly  official,  but  dropped  from  the  Pharma- 
copoeia in  1880. 

Constituents. — Gentisic  acid,  and  gentiopicrin,  both  of  which  are  found 


222  GENTIANACE^. 

also  in  gentian,  the  latter  being  a  bitter  princijole,  and  apparently  the  most 
important  medicinal  constituent  of  the  plants. 

Preparations. — Commonly  administered  in  infusion. 

lledical  Properties  and  Uses. — In  the  recent  state,  American  columbo 
is  said  to  be  emetic  and  cathartic,  but  when  dried  it  appears  to  possess 
only  bitter  tonic  properties  similar  to  those  of  gentian.  In  the  recent 
state,  it  has  been  employed  as  a  substitute  for  rhubarb,  but  it  is,  at  best, 
a  poor  one  ;  while,  as  a  tonic,  the  dried  drug  is  much  inferior  to  gentian 
or  true  columbo. 

GENTIANA.— Gentian. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  4-  to  5-cleft.  Corolla  4-  to  5-lobed, 
usually  with  intermediate  smaller  segments.  Stamens  4  to  5.  Ovary 
1-celled  ;  style  short  or  absent ;  stigmas  2,  persistent.  Fruit  a  1-celled, 
2-valved,  many-seeded  capsule. 

Perennial  herbs  with  opposite,  ribbed  leaves.  Flowers  sohtary  or 
cymose,  commonly  blue,  though  sometimes  wliite,  yellow,  or  even  red, 
ai^x^earing  late  in  summer  or  in  autumn. 

All  gentians  are  more  or  less  bitter,  and  all  possess  medicinal  activity, 
though  few  indigenous  species  have  been  subjected  to  experiment.  Those 
described  below  are  selected  more  as  common  representatives  of  the  genus 
as  found  in  different  sections  of  the  country  than  because  of  their  reputa- 
tion as  therapeutic  agents. 

Gentiana  crinita  Froel. — Fringed  Gentian. 

Description. — Calyx  4-cleft,  the  lobes  unequal,  ovate  and  lanceolate,  as 
long  as  the  tube  of  the  corolla.  Corolla  funnel-form,  deeply  4-parted,  the 
lobes  obovate,  wedge-shaped,  the  summit  finely  and  beautifully  fringed. 
Stamens  4  ;  filaments  as  long  as  the  corolla-tube.      Pod  short-stalked. 

Stem  erect,  smooth,  1  to  2  feet  high.  Leaves  ovate-lanceolate,  some- 
what cordate  or  rounded  at  the  base.  Flowers  solitary  on  long  peduncles, 
terminating  the  stem  or  simple  branches.  Corolla  2  inches  long,  sky-blue, 
showy. 

Habitat. — In  low  grounds  from  New  England  to  Wisconsin  and  south- 
ward.    A  common  and  very  beautiful  species. 

Gentiana  ochroleuca  Froel. — Yellowish-white  Gentian. 

Description. — Calyx  5-parted,  the  lobes  linear,  unequal,  erect.  Corolla 
bell-shaped,  with  plaited  appendages  between  the  lobes,  one-third  or  one- 
half  longer  than  the  calyx.     Anthers  erect,  separate. 

Stem  ascending  i  to  1  foot  high,  mostly  smooth.  Leaves  oblong  or 
obovate-oblong,  narrowed  at  the  base,  the  upper  ones  narrower  and  acute. 
Flowers  in  a  dense  terminal  cluster,  and  in  axillary  clusters.  Corolla 
open,  1  to  1^  inch  long,  greenish-white,  striped  with  green  and  purple 
veins  within. 

Habitat. — In  dry  grounds  from  Southern  Pennsylvania  southward. 


MENYANTHES.  223 

Gentiana  Andrewsii  Grisebach. — Closed  Gentian. 

Description. — Calyx  5-j)arted,  the  lobes  ovate,  recurved,  shorter  than 
the  tube.  Corolla  inflated  club-shaped,  closed  at  the  mouth,  the  broad, 
short,  rounded  lobes  remaining  in  apposition  and  concealing  the  interme- 
diate fringed  appendages.  Anthers  connivent.  Pod  at  length  projecting 
from  the  persistent  corolla. 

Stem  erect,  smooth,  simple  or  sparingly  branched,  1  to  2  feet  high. 
Leaves  ovate-lanceolate,  acute,  narrowed  at  the  base.  Flowers  in  terminal 
and  axillary  clusters  ;  corolla  1  to  1^  inch  long,  pale  blue,  sometimes  white. 

Habitat. — In  rich  moist  situations ;  the  most  common  species  north- 
ward. 

Gentiana  puberula  Michaux  [G.  Catesbcei  Elliott). — Blue  Gentian. 

Descrijjtion. — Calyx  5-parted,  the  lobes  lanceolate,  about  as  long  as  the 
tube.  Corolla  large,  open,  the  lobes  ovate,  spreading,  2  to  4  times  as  long 
as  the  cut-toothed  appendages.     Anthers  connivent. 

Stem  erect  or  ascending,  1  to  1|^  foot  high,  rough  or  slightly  pubes- 
cent. Leaves  lanceolate  or  linear-lanceolate,  rough-margined.  Flowers 
in  axillary  and  terminal  clusters  ;  corolla  bright  blue,  lined  with  yellow  and 
deeper  blue. 

Habitat. — Dry  prairies  and  barrens  from  Ohio  to  Wisconsin  and  south- 
ward. 

Part  Used. — The  root — not  official.  That  of  the  last  described  species 
was  formerly  official,  but  was  dropped  from  the  Pharmacoj)oeia  in  1880. 

Constituents. — Nothing  of  a  positive  nature  is  known  of  the  chemical 
constituents  of  these  plants,  though  they  are  supposed  to  be  identical  with 
those  of  the  official  species,  G.  lutea. 

Preparations. — Water  extracts  the  bitter  principle  of  these  plants,  hence 
they  may  be  employed  in  infusion  or  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — There  is  probably  no  other  difference 
than  of  degree  between  the  therapeutic  effect  of  these  and  the  official 
species,  and  they  may  be  employed  for  like  purposes. 

MENYANTHES. 

Menyanthes  trifoliata  Linne. — Buckbean,  Marsh  Trefoil. 

Description. — Calyx  5-parted,  the  lobes  obtuse.  Corolla  rotate  or  short 
funnel-form,  more  than  twice  as  long  as  the  calyx,  5-pai'ted,  deciduous, 
the  upper  surface  white  bearded,  the  lobes  valvate  in  the  bud  with  the 
margins  turned  inward.  Stamens  5,  as  long  as  the  corolla.  Style  slender, 
persistent  ;  stigma  2-lobed.  Capsule  1-celled,  many-seeded,  bursting  ir- 
regularly. 

An  herbaceous  perennial  with  a  long,  round,  jointed,  horizonital  rhi- 
zome, with  numerous  fibrous  rootlets.  Leaves  trifoliate,  upon  long  sheath- 
ing petioles,  which  pi'oceed  fi-om  the  end  of  the  rhizome  ;  leaflets  oval  or 


224  LOGAlSriACE^. 

oblong,  entire  or  bluntly  denticulate,  smooth.  Flowers  racemose  on  a 
naked  scape  1  foot  high,  white  or  reddish,  appearing  in  May  or  June. 

Habitat. — In  bogs  from  New  England  to  Pennsylvania,  Wisconsin,  and 
northward. 

Farts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  leaves — not  official. 

Constituents. — A  bitter  principle,  termed  menyanthin,  appears  to  be 
the  only  active  constituent. 

Preparations. — Infusion,  decoction,  and  alcoholic  tincture. 

Medical  Projyerties  and  Uses. — Buckbean  possesses  the  bitter  tonic 
properties  common  to  the  gentianacese,  and  also  has  some  cathartic  power, 
hence  it  may  be  used  in  cases  requiring  a  tonic  and  laxative  effect. 

LOCANIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  shrubs,  or  trees,  with  opposite,  entire, 
stipulate  leaves.  Calyx  4-  to  5-parted.  Corolla  4-  to  5-cleft  or  parted,  con- 
volute, valvate,  or  imbricate  in  the  bud.  Stamens  4  to  5,  not  always  of 
the  same  number  as  the  lobes  of  the  corolla.  Ovary  free  from  calyx.  Fruit 
a  capsule  or  berry. 

An  order  of  plants  inhabiting  the  troj)ics  chiefly,  generally  possessing 
active  poisonous  properties.  Strychnos,  Gelsemium  and  Spigelia  are  well- 
known  examx)les. 

GELSEMIUM.— Yellow  Jessamine. 

Gelsemium  sempervirens  Aiton. — Yelloiu  Jessamine. 

Description. — Calyx  small,  5-parted,  the  lobes  lanceolate,  acute.  Corolla 
funnel-form,  f  to  1^  inch  long,  the  margin  5-lobed,  the  lobes  imbricated 
in  the  bud.  Stamens  5,  half  as  long  as  the  corolla,  upon  which  they  are 
inserted;  anthers  oblong,  sagittate.  Style  longer  than  the  stamens;  stig- 
mas 2,  each  2-parted.  Pod  elliptical,  flattened  contrary  to  the  partition,. 
2-celled,  2-valved,  many-seeded. 

A  smooth,  twining,  shrubby  perennial.  Leaves  opposite,  entire,  ovate 
or  lanceolate,  petiolate,  smooth  and  shining,  nearly  evergreen.  Flowers 
showy  and  fragrant,  in  short  axillary  ckisters  ;  j)edicels  with  scaly  bracts. 
The  flowers  appear  in  March  and  April. 

Habitat. — In  low  grounds  fi'om  Virginia  to  Florida  ;  often  cultivated  for 
ornament. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — In  addition  to  common  vegetable  principles,  there  exist 
in  gelsemium  a  peculiar  alkaloid,  gelseminia  and  gelseminic  acid,  the  latter 
being  identical  with  oesculin,  a  principle  found  in  the  horse-chestnut. 

Pi^eparations. — Extractum  gelsemii  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  gelsemium ;, 
tinctura  gelsemii — tincture  of  gelsemium. —  United  States  Pharmacopceia. 


PLATE   VII. 


*on.nei.  GELSEMIUM     SEM  PERVIRENS. 


PLATE  VII. — Gelsemium  sempervirens. 

Fig.  1. — A  flowering  branch. 

Fig.  2.— Calyx  and  pistil. 

Fig.  3. — Corolla  with  stamens — all  natural  size. 


SPIGELIA PINKROOT.  227 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Gelsemium  is  a  very  powerful  drug 
whose  therapeutic  hmitatious  are  uot,  as  yet,  accui-ately  defined.  In  toxic 
doses — and,  unfortunately,  these  have  been  only  too  frequently  adminis- 
tered— it  produces  paralysis  of  both  motion  and  sensation,  -without,  how- 
ever, greatly  affecting  the  mind,  except  in  rare  instances.  In  fatal  cases, 
after  motion  is  entirely  destroyed,  the  respiration  becomes  progressively 
more  and  more  labored,  and  finally  ceases  from  paralysis  of  the  respiratory 
muscles.  Occasionally  death  is  preceded  by  convulsions  and  coma,  but 
usually  the  mind  is  clear  nearly  to  the  last.  These  severe  efi'ects  of  the 
drug,  moreover,  have  not  always  borne  a  definite  relation  to  the  size  of 
the  dose  administered.  In  other  words,  there  seems  to  be  an  amount  of 
uncertainty  about  the  action  of  the  drug  which,  on  the  one  hand,  adds  to 
its  danger,  and  on  the  other,  detracts  from  its  value  as  a  therapeutic  agent. 
In  some  cases,  quite  unexpectedly,  poisonous  efi'ects  have  followed  doses 
supposed  to  be  far  within  the  limits  of  safety  ;  in  others,  much  larger  doses 
have  failed  to  produce  the  thei'apeutic  efi'ects  desired  and  expected.  Re- 
garding its  therapeutic  applications,  rejecting,  as  we  reasonably  may,  aU 
its  claims  to  specific  effect  in  certain  diseases,  there  seems  to  remain  no 
other  just  place  for  it  except  in  febrile  and  inflammatory  affections  of  a 
decided  sthenic  type.  That  in  such  cases  it  may  moderate  or  subdue 
febrile  action,  through  its  powerfully  depressant  efiects,  is  very  evident  ; 
but  that  the  desired  results  can  be  obtained  more  readily  and  more  safely 
by  this  drug  than  by  several  other  better-known  and  more  certain  agents, 
certainly  requires  demonstration.  Meanwhile  the  judicious  physician  will 
suspend  judgment,  or,  at  least,  experiment  with  great  caution. 

SPIGELIA.— PiNKROOT. 

Spigelia  Marilandica  Jjinnv.—Pinkroot. 

Description. — Calyx  deeply  5-parted,  the  lobes  very  slender,  pointed, 
persistent.  Corolla  five  times  as  long  as  the  calyx,  tubular  funnel-form, 
somewhat  inflated  toward  the  summit,  the  border  with  5  acute,  spreading 
segments.  Stamens  5,  very  short,  inserted  in  the  mouth  of  the  corolla 
and  alternate  with  the  segments.  Ovary  small,  ovate,  free  ;  style  longer 
than  the  corolla,  slendei',  jointed  near  the  middle,  hairy  above.  Capsule 
double,  consisting  of  2,  cohering,  1-celled,  few-seeded  carpels  which  sepa- 
rate at  matm-ity,  and  open  loculicidally. 

An  herbaceous  perennial,  with  a  short  rhizome,  beset  with  numerous 
fibrous  rootlets.  Stems  several  fi-om  the  same  rhizome,  erect,  ^  to  1^  foot 
high,  simple.  Leaves  opposite,  sessile,  ovate,  acuminate,  entire,  smooth, 
with  the  margins  and  veins  somewhat  pubescent.  Flowers  spiked,  in  one- 
sided cymes  ;  the  spikes  simple  or  forked,  short,  appearing  in  June  and 
July.  The  corolla  is  1^  inch  long,  scarlet  or  ci-imson  Avithout,  yellow 
within,  and  very  showy. 


228 


APOCYNACE^. 


Habitat. — In  rich  woods  from  Pennsylvania  to  Wisconsin  and  south- 
ward. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — A  j)eculiar  bit- 
ter principle,  volatile  oil,  resin, 
tannin  and  other  common  vege- 
table principles.  UjDon  which 
of  its  chemical  constituents  its 
therapeutic  virtues  depend  is 
not  known. 

Preparations.  —  Ext  r  actum 
spigelia  fluidum — fluid  extract 
of  spigelia. —  United  States  Phar- 
macojioeia.  It  is  most  commonly 
administered  in  infusion  or  de- 
coction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. 
— Sjjigelia  enjoys  a  high  reputa- 
tion among  the  laity  as  a  remedy 
for  lumbricoid  worms,  but,  as  it 
is  commonly  administered  with 
senna,  there  is  a  difiference  of 
opinion  as  to  which  of  the  drugs 
is  the  more  active  agent  in  the 
destruction  of  the  worms.  How- 
ever this  may  be,  spigelia  is  certainly  entitled  to  a  share  of  the  credit.  It  is 
even  capable  of  producing  toxic  effects  upon  the  human  subject,  such  as 
drowsiness,  muscular  tremor,  strabismus,  and  convulsions,  hence  the  prac- 
tice of  administering  it  in  large  and  often-repeated  doses  to  young  chil- 
dren, upon  the  bare  suspicion  of  the  presence  of  worms,  cannot  be  too 
strongly  condemned. 

APOCYNACE>E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Plants  with  opposite,  rarely  alternate,  exstijDu- 
late  leaves,  and  generally  an  acrid,  milky  juice.  Calyx  5-parted.  Corolla 
5-parted,  the  lobes  convolute  in  the  bud.  Stamens  5,  inserted  on  the  co- 
rolla ;  filaments  distinct.  Ovaries  2,  distinct,  but  with  styles  united.  Fruit 
a  pod. 

A  large  order  of  chiefly  tropical  plants,  represented  in  North  America 
by  only  a  few  genera. 

APOCYNUM.  —Dogbane. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  5-parted,  small,  the  lobes  acute.  Co- 
rolla 5-cleft,  bearing  5  triangular  scales  in  the  throat  oj^posite  the  lobes. 


Pig.  149.— Spigelia  Marilandica. 


APOCYJSrUM DOGBANE.  229 

Stamens  5,  inserted  on  the  base  of  the  corolla  ;  filaments  flat,  shorter  than 
the  sagittate  anthers.  Style  none  ;  stigma  large,  slightly  2-lobecl.  Fruit 
consists  of  2  long,  coriaceous  pods  ;  seeds  numerous,  ovoid,  with  a  long 
tuft  of  silky  down  at  the  apex. 

Perennial  herbs  with  upright,  branching  stems,  opposite,  mucronate- 
pointed  leaves,  tough  fibrous  bark,  and  small,  pale,  terminal  or  axillary 
flowers,  on  short  pedicels. 

Apocyntim  androsaemifolium  Linne. — Dogbane. 

Description. — Stem  2  to  3  feet  high,  smooth,  often  purplish,  with 
forked  branches  above.  Leaves  ovate,  petiolate,  smooth  or  somewhat 
downy.  Flowers  in  loose  spreading  cymes  ;  corolla  bell-shaped,  the  lobes 
revolute,  the  tube  longer  than  the  ovate,  pointed  segments  of  the  calyx, 
pale  rose-color,  appearing  in  June  and  July. 

Habitat. — In  copses,  and  borders  of  woods  ;  common. 

Apocynum  cannabinum  Linne. — Indian  Hemp. 

Description. — Stem  and  branches  erect  or  ascending,  2  to  3  feet  high, 
smooth.  Leaves  oblong  or  oblong-lanceolate,  obtuse  or  rounded,  or  the 
uppermost  acute  at  both  ends,  petiolate.  Flowers  smaller  than  in  the  pre- 
ceding, in  close,  many-flowered  cymes  ;  corolla-lobes  nearly  erect,  the  tube 
not  longer  than  the  lanceolate  segments  of  the  calyx,  greenish-white,  ap- 
j)earing  in  July  and  August.     A  somewhat  variable  species. 

Habitat. — In  shady  places  ;  common. 

Part  Used. — The  root  of  A.  cannabinum —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 
The  root  of  the  other  species  is  also  used. 

Constituents. — The  active  principles  of  these  plants  have  not  been  iso- 
lated. 

Preparations. — They  are  usually  employed  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — A.  cannabinum  is  diaphoretic,  diuretic, 
emetic,  and  cathartic.  It  has  been  used  chiefly  in  dropsy,  and  is  said  to 
possess  some  advantages  over  many  hydrogogues  in  that  it  acts  not  only 
upon  the  bowels  but  powerfully  also  upon  the  skin  and  kidneys.  The 
other  species  possesses  similar  properties,  but  is  believed  to  be  less  active. 

ASCLEPIADACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Plants  with  opposite  or  whorled,  rarely  scat- 
tering, exstipulate  leaves,  and  a  milky  juice.  Calyx  5-parted.  Corolla  5- 
parted,  the  lobes  commonly  valvate  in  the  bud.  Stamens  5,  inserted  in 
the  corolla  ;  filaments  commonly  united  into  a  tube  which  encloses  the 
pistil ;  anthers  adherent  to  the  stigma  ;  pollen  cohering  into  granular  or 
wax-like  masses.     Fruit  a  pod. 

A  large  order  of  chiefly  tropical  plants,  represented  in  North  America 
by  only  a  few  comparatively  unimportant  genera. 


230  ASCLEPIADACEiE. 

ASCLEPI  AS.  —Milkweed. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  5-parted,  j^ersistent,  the  lobes  smaU, 
spreading.  Corolla  deeply  5-parted,  the  lobes  bent  downward  toward  the 
stalk  ;  within  the  petals  are  5  hooded  processes,  each  with  an  incurved 
horn,  forming  what  is  called  the  crown,  and  enclosing  the  stamen-tube. 
Stamens  5,  inserted  in  the  base  of  the  corolla  ;  filaments  united  into  a  tube 
which  encloses  the  pistil  ;  anthers  adherent  to  the  stigma,  each  with  2 
vertical  cells,  each  cell  containing  a  flattened  pear-shaped  mass  of  pollen. 
Ovaries  2 ;  styles  united  ;  stigma  1,  fleshy,  5-angled.  Follicles  2,  one  of 
them  often  abortive,  ovate  or  somewhat  curved,  spindle-shaped  ;  seeds  nu- 
merous, tufted  with  soft  silky  hairs. 

Perennial  herbs  with  thick,  deep-growing  roots.  Flowers  terminal  or 
lateral  in  simple,  many-flowered  umbels. 

Asclepias  cornuti  Decaisne  {A.  Syriaca  Linne). — Milkweed,  Silkweed. 

Description. — Hoods  of  the  crown  ovate,  obtuse,  with  a  lobe  or  tooth 
on  each  side  of  the  short  and  stout  horn.  Pods  ovate,  woolly,  and  rough, 
with  soft  spines.  Stem  simple,  erect,  stout,  3  to  4  feet  high.  Leaves  oj)- 
posite,  oblong-ovate,  with  short  petioles,  smooth  above,  minutely  downy 
beneath,  pale  green.  Umbels  manj'-flowered,  terminal  and  lateral  in 
pedicels  shorter  than  the  leaves ;  flowers  greenish-purple,  appearing  in 
midsummer. 

Habitat. — Common  everywhere. 

Asclepias  incarnata  Linne. — Swamp  Milkweed. 

Description. — Hoods  of  the  crown  scarcely  as  long  as  the  slender, 
pointed  horn.  Pods  commonly  smooth  and  glabrous.  Stem  erect,  branch- 
ing, 2  to  3  feet  high,  leafy  to  the  tojD.  Leaves  opposite,  oblong-lanceolate, 
acute  or  pointed,  obtuse  or  obscurely  cordate  at  the  base,  with  short  peti- 
oles. Umbels  numerous,  erect,  mostly  terminal,  often  in  opposite  pairs  ; 
flowers  rose-purple,  appearing  in  midsummer. 

A  somewhat  variable  species,  sometimes  more  or  less  hairy-pubescent, 
again  nearly  smooth. 

Habitat. — Li  wet,  swampy  places  ;  common. 

Asclepias  tuberosa  Linne, — Butterjiyweed — Pleurisy-Root. 

Description. — Hoods  of  the  crown  narrowly  oblong,  scarcely  longer  than 
the  nearly  erect,  slender,  i^ointed  horns,  bright  orange ;  corolla  lobes 
greenish-orange.  Pods  lanceolate,  hoary.  Stems  numerous  from  a  large 
fleshy  rhizome,  1  to  2  feet  high,  very  leafy.  Leaves  numerous,  scattered, 
some  of  them  opposite,  oblong-lanceolate  or  linear,  sessile  or  short-petioled. 
Umbels  corymbose  at  the  summit  of  the  stem  and  branches  ;  flowers  very 
showy,  ajDpearing  late  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  dry  fields,  and  along  roadsides  ;  common  southward. 

Part  Used. — The  root  of  A.  tuberosa — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 
The  roots  of  A,  incarnata  and  A.  cornuti  were  formerly  official,  but  were 


FRAXINUS ASH.  231 

dismissed  from  the  Pharmacopoeia  in  1880.  They  are  probably  little  less 
efficient  than  the  official  species. 

Constituents. — A.  tuberosa  has  yielded  to  analysis,  besides  common 
vegetable  principles,  two  resins,  and  a  peculiar  principle  possessing  the 
taste  of  the  root.  The  other  species  have  been  analysed  with  somewhat 
similar  results. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  They  are  commonly  administered  in 
decoction.  Extracts  and  oleo-resinous  preparations  occur  as  commercial 
articles. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  various  species  of  asclepias  have 
been  employed  with  diuretic,  diaphoretic,  expectorant,  emetic,  and  even 
purgative  eifect.  They  have  also  been  credited,  though  on  insufficient 
grounds,  with  specific  action  in  certain  diseases.  Their  diajihoretie 
effects  have  been  found  viseful  in  acute  pulmonary  and  bronchial  affections 
and  in  rheumatism. 

OLEACE>E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Trees  or  shrubs  with  oj)posite,  simple  or  com- 
pound leaves,  and  perfect  or  unisexual  flowers.  Calyx  4-cleft,  sometimes 
obsolete.  Corolla  4-cleft,  or  of  4  separate  petals,  sometimes  wanting. 
Stamens  2,  rarely  3  or  4.  Ovary  free,  2-celled,  commonly  2-ovuled. 
Fruit  drupaceous,  baccate,  capsular  or  samaroid. 

An  order,  taking  its  name  from  the  olive  (Olea  Europcea),  which  com- 
prises about  20  genera  and  150  species,  mostly  natives  of  temperate  regions. 
Its  most  important  representatives  in  North  America  are  found  in  the 
genus 

FRAXINUS.— Ash. 

Fraxinus  Americana  Linne. —  White  Ash. 

Description. — Calyx  minute,  4-toothed,  persistent.  Corolla  wanting. 
Stamens  2,  rarely  3  or  4.  Style  single,  stigma  2-cleft.  Fruit  a  samara,  flat- 
tened, winged  at  the  apex,  1-  to  2-seeded. 

A  large  tree,  60  to  80  feet  high,  with  gray  furrowed  bark,  smooth  gray 
branchlets,  and  rusty-colored  buds.  Leaves  12  to  14  inches  long,  un- 
equally pinnate  ;  leaflets  7  to  9,  ovate  or  lance-oblong,  pointed,  entire, 
rarely  denticulate,  light-green  above,  pale  and  either  smooth  or  pubescent 
underneath.  Flowers  dioecious,  in  crowded  panicles  or  racemes,  from  the 
axils  of  the  preceding  year's  leaves.  Fruit  terete  below,  expanded  above 
into  a  lanceolate,  oblanceolate,  or  wedge-linear  wing. 

Habitat. — Eiver  banks  and  margins  of  swamps  from  Canada  to  Florida. 

Part  Used. — The  inner  bark — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — It  has  been  used  in  infusion  and  vinous  tincture. 


232  AEISTOLOCHIACEiE. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  bark  of  white  ash  has  been  used 
with  asserted  benefit  in  dysmenorrhsea,  but  as  so  many  other  drugs  have 
attained  a  short-hved  reputation  in  this  affection,  only  to  fall  into  disre- 
pute when  subjected  to  more  extended  exiDeriments,  this  one  may  be  ex- 
pected to  follow  them.  Still  it  aiDj)ears  desu-able  that  the  American  ashes 
be  investigated,  since  at  least  two  Euroj)ean  species  are  possessed  of  valu- 
able medicinal  properties,  one  of  them,  F.  ornus  Linne,  furnishing  the 
manna  of  commerce.  Several  of  our  species  have  been  used  to  some  ex- 
tent, both  in  domestic  and  regular  practice,  but  the  results  are  as  yet  in- 
definite. 


Division  HI. — Apetalous  Exogenous  Plants. 

Corolla  wanting,  the  calyx  being  the  only  floral  envelope  ;  sometimes 
even  this  is  absent,  and  then  the  flower  is  naked. 

ARISTOLOCHIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Low  herbs  or  twining  plants  with  apetalous. 
perfect  flowers.  Calyx  valvate  in  the  bud,  and  coherent  with  the  6-celled 
ovary.  Stamens  6  to  12,  more  or  less  united  with  the  style.  Fruit  a  6- 
celled,  many-seeded  pod  or  berry. 

A  small  order  of  chiefly  tropical  plants,  represented  in  North  America 
by  two  genera,  namely  Asarum  and  Aristolochia,  both  comprising  medici- 
nal species. 

ASARUM.— Wild  Ginger. 

Asarum  Canadense  Linne.— TFiW  Ginger. 

Description. — Calyx  bell-shaped,  3-parted,  the  lobes  pointed,  abruptly 
spreading,  dull  purple  inside  ;  at  each  sinus  is  usually  a  small  awl-shaped 
appendage.  Stamens  12  ;  filaments  slender,  united  with  the  base  of  the 
styles,  the  latter  united  into  one,  6-lobed  at  the  summit,  with  6  radiating 
stigmas.     Fruit  a  fleshy,  globular  pod,  bursting  irregularly. 

A  low,  stemless,  perennial  herb  with  a  creeping  rhizome.  Leaves  a 
single  pair,  radical,  membranaceous,  reniform,  more  or  less  pointed,  4  to 
5  inches  wide  when  full-grown,  on  long  petioles.  Flower  solitary,  on  a 
short  petiole,  appearing  early  in  spring. 

Habitat. — In  rich  upland  woods ;  common  northward. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets.  Formerly  ofiicial  but  droiDped 
from  the  Pharmacopoeia  in  1880. 

Constituents. — An  aromatic  volatile  oil  and  an  acrid  resin,  besides  com- 
mon vegetable  principles. 


ARISTOLOCHIA — BIRTinVORT.  233 

Preparations. — Commonly  administered  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  L«e^\— Wild  ginger  has  a  peculiar,  pungent,  aro- 
matic taste,  and  is  an  aromatic  stimulant.  In  hot  infusion  it  pi'oduces 
diaphoresis,  and  may  relieve  the  pains  of  colic.  It  is,  however,  less  agTee- 
able  to  most  persons  than  many  other  drugs  of  its  class,  and  scarcely  de- 
serves to  rank  as  a  medicinal  agent. 

ARISTOLOCHIA.— BiRTnwoKT. 

Aristolochia  Serpentaria  Linne. —  Virginia  Snakeroot. 

Description. — Calyx  tubular,  contorted,  bent  in  the  shape  of  the  letter 
S,  dilated  at  both  extremities,  the  Hmb  5-lobed,  and  somewhat  2-iij)ped. 
Stamens  6,  the  sessile  anthers  ad- 
herent to  the  3-lobed  sigma.  Pod 
6-valved,  6 -angled,  many-seeded. 

A  perennial  herb.  Stems  sev- 
eral, from  a  short,  fibrous-rooted 

rhizome ;  they  are  simple  or  ^^^^^J  f  /<  ^i  ^^-''^  /^^ 
slightly  branched,  flexuous,  some- 
what swollen  at  the  joints,  about 
one  foot  high,  often  tinged  with 
red,  especially  near  the  base. 
Leaves  alternate,  ovate  or  oblong, 
cordate  or  halberd-shaped  at  the 
base,  pointed,  entire,  petiolate. 
Flowers  near  the  root,  axillai-y, 
on  short  peduncles,  of  a  stiff 
leathery  texture  and  a  dull  brown- 
ish-purple color,  appearing  in  mid- 
summer. 

Habitat. — In  rich  woods  from 
Connecticut  to  Indiana  and  south- 
ward ;  most   common    along  the 

Fig.  150.— Aristolochia  Serpentaria. 

Alleghanies. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets.  Official  name  :  Serpentaria — 
United  States  Pharmacopieia. 

Constituents. — A  small  proportion  of  volatile  oil,  an  amorphous  bitter 
principle,  and  common  vegetable  constituents. 

Preparations. — Extractum  serpentarise  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  ser- 
pentaria ;  tinctura  serpentariae — tinctui'e  of  serpentaria.  One  of  the 
constituents  of  tinctura  cinchonse  composita — compound  tincture  of  cin- 
chona.—  United  States  Pharmacopoeia.     An  infusion  was  formerly  official. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Serpentaria  is  a  stimulant  tonic,  but  may 
also  produce  diaphoretic,  diiiretic,  or  emetic  effects,  according  to  the  dose 


234  PIIYTOLACCACE^. 

and  manner  of  administration.  It  was  formerly  employed  in  fevers  of  a 
typhoid  character,  but  is  now  little  used,  except  in  bronchial  and  pulmo- 
nary affections  of  an  adynamic  character. 


PHYTOLACCACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs  or  undershrubs  much  resembling  the 
following  order — Chenopodiaceae — but  having  a  many-celled,  many-ovuled 
ovary,  which  in  fruit  forms  a  berry.  Represented  in  North  America  by 
the  genus 

PHYTOLACCA. —PoKEWEED. 

Phytolacca  decandra  Linne. — Pokeweed,  Scokeweed,  Garget,  Pigeon- 
berry. 

Description. — Calyx  :  sepals  5,  rounded,  white,  petaloid.  Corolla  ab- 
sent. Stamens  10,  rather  shorter  than  the  sepals.  Ovary  of  10  carpels 
united  in  a  ring  ;  styles  10,  short,  recui-ved.  Fruit  a  depressed-globose 
berry,  dark  purple,  10-seeded. 

A  smooth,  stout  perennial  herb  with  hollow  stems  and  large  fleshy 
roots.  Stem  much  branched,  3  to  8  feet  high,  at  first  green  but  becoming 
purplish  with  age.  Leaves  scattered,  ovate-oblong,  entire,  acute,  smooth 
both  sides,  petiolate.  Flowei's  in  long  racemes  opposite  the  leaves,  ap- 
pearing in  summer.  The  berries  ripen  in  autumn,  and  are  filled  with 
crimson  juice. 

Habitat. — Common  everywhere. 

Parts  Used. — Phytolaccae  bucca — phytolacca  berry  ;  phytolaccae  radix — 
Phytolacca  root —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — The  active  princii^le  of  poke  has  not  yet  been  isolated. 

Preparations. — None  are  official.  Both  the  berries  and  root  have  been 
employed  in  decoction  and  in  tinctm-e,  and  the  root  has  been  used  also  in 
the  form  of  an  ointment. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — All  parts  of  the  plant  jDossess  acrid  and 
somewhat  narcotic  properties.  The  juice  of  the  fresh  plant,  or  a  strong 
decoction  of  the  root,  applied  locally,  may  strongly  irritate  the  skin,  espec- 
ially if  tender  or  abraded.  Taken  internally  it  produces  nausea,  vomiting, 
and  purging,  and,  in  overdoses,  acro-narcotic  poisoning.  It  has  been  em- 
XDloyed  with  more  or  less  satisfactory  results  in  a  great  variety  of  cutaneous 
affections,  and  in  rheumatism,  especially  when  chronic  or  of  a  syphilitic 
origin.  There  is  little  doubt  that,  in  view  of  the  uncertainty  which  at  pres- 
ent exists  regarding  it,  this  plant  would  well  repay  further  careful  exj)eri- 
mentation. 


CHENOPODIUM — GOOSEFOOT,    PIGWEED.  235 


CHENOPODIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Chiefly  herbs,  rarely  *undershrubs,  with  mostly 
alternate,  exstipulate  leaves.  Calyx  deeply  divided,  sometimes  tubular  at 
the  base,  persistent,  commonly  enclosing  the  fruit.  Stamens  generally  of 
the  same  number  as  the  lobes  of  the  calyx,  and  inserted  opposite  them  or 
on  their  base.  Ovary  free,  1-celled,  with  a  single  ovule  attached  to  its 
base  ;  styles  or  stigmas  2,  rarely  3  to  5.  Fruit  a  thin  utricle,  rarely  an 
achenium. 

A  large  order,  comprising  many  common  weeds,  and  a  few  plants,  as 
the  beet,  spinach,  and  chenopodium  of  economic  importance. 

CHENOPODIUM.— GoosEFOOT,  Pigweed. 

Character  of  the  Genius. — Calyx  5-cleft,  rarely  2-  to  4-cleft  or  parted, 
more  or  less  enveloping  the  fruit.  Stamens  commonly  5.  Styles  2,  rarely 
3.     Seed  round,  flattened. 

Coarse,  weedy  j)lants,  usually  somewhat  succulent,  and  with  a  white 
mealiness,  or  viscid  glandular.  Flowers  small,  greenish,  numerous,  sessile., 
in  clusters  collected  in  terminal  spikes. 

Chenopodium  ambrosioides  Linne  (Var.  Anthelminticum 
Gray). —  Wo7'mseed. 

Description. — Flowers  mostly  in  leafless  spikes.  Stem  erect,  angular, 
sparingly  branched,  1  to  3  feet  high.  Leaves  ovate-oblong,  acute,  nar- 
rowed at  the  base,  petiolate,  deeply  sinuate- serrate,  the  lower  sometimes 
almost  laciniate,  pinnatifid,  thin,  smoothish,  destitute  of  mealiness,  glandu- 
lar beneath,  bi'ight  green.  The  whole  plant  has  a  strongly  aromatic 
odor. 

Habitat. — Introduced  from  Tropical  America  ;  common  southward,  in 
waste  places. 

Chenopodium  album  Ijmn6.—Pigioeed,  Lamb's  Quarters. 

Description. — FloAvers  in  dense  or  loose,  nearly  leafless  racemes. 
Stem  erect,  sulcate-striate,  loosely  branched,  1  to  5  feet  high.  Leaves 
-varying  from  rhombic-ovate  to  lanceolate  or  linear  above,  all  or  only  the 
lower  more  or  less  sinuate-toothed,  mostly  with  a  pale  mealiness.  A  very 
variable  species. 

Habitat. — A  very  common  weed  in  cultivated  grounds  and  about  farm 
buildings. 

Of  these  two  species  the  first  is  introduced  on  account  of  its  medicinal 
importance,  and  the  second  because  it  typifies  a  number  of  closely  related 
species  of  common  weeds,  diftering  from  the  official  plant  in  being  mealy 
instead  of  viscid  glandular. 

Part  Used. — The  fruit  of  C.  ambrosioides  Linne,  var.  anthelminticum 
Gray.     Official  name  :  Chenopodium — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 


236  POLYGONACEJS. 

Constituents. — Its  only  important  constituent  is  a  volatile  oil. 

Preparations. — Oleum  cbenopodii — oil  of  chenopodium. —  United  States 
Pharmaoopoiia.  The  bruised  seeds  are  sometimes  administered  in  sub- 
stance or  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — ChenoiDodium  is  used  solely  as  an  an- 
thelmintic for  lumbricoid  worms. 

POLYGONACEyE. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs  Avith  alternate,  commonly  entire  leaves, 
and  stipules  in  the  form  of  membranaceous  sheaths  above  the  swollen 
joints  of  the  stem.  Flowers  commonly  perfect.  Calyx  3-  to  6-cleft,  more 
or  less  persistent.  Stamens  4  to  12,  inserted  on  the  base  of  the  calyx. 
Ovary  free,  1-celled  ;  styles  or  stigmas  2  or  3.  Fruit  a  seed-like  nutlet, 
commonly  triangular. 

An  order  comprising  few  North  American  genera,  and  these  are  largely 
rej)resented  by  common  weeds,  many  of  them  possessing  more  or  less 
acrid  properties.  The  most  important  plants  of  the  order  are  buckwheat 
{Fagopjyrum)  and  rhubai'b  [Rheum). 

POLYGONUM.  — Knotweed. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  commonly  5-parted,  the  lobes  often 
petaloid,  withering  or  persistent.  Stamens  4  to  9.  Styles  or  stigmas  2  or 
3.  Fruit  a  lenticular  or  triangular  achenium,  surrounded  by  the  erect  lobes 
of  the  calyx. 

Polygonum  Hydropiper  Linne. — Smartweed,  Water-Pepper. 

Description. — Flowei'S  mostly  greenish,  ui  nodding  spikes,  usually  short 
or  interrupted.  Stamens  6.  Style  2-  to  3-parted.  Achenium  dull,  minutely 
striate,  flat  or  obtusely  triangular.  A  smooth  annual,  1  to  2  feet  high. 
Leaves  lanceolate,  tapering  to  both  ends,  minutely  pellucid-punctate. 

Habitat. — In  damp  places  ;  very  common. 

Polygonum  acre  H.  B.  K  {P.  jnmctatum  Elliott).  —  Water  Smartweed. 

Description. — Flowers  whitish  or  flesh-colored,  in  erect  spikes.  Sta- 
mens 8.  Style  mostly  3-parted.  Achenium  smooth,  shining,  sharply  tri- 
angular. A  nearly  smooth  perennial.  Stem  ascending,  rooting  at  the  de- 
cumbent base,  2  to  5  feet  high.  Leaves  larger  and  longer  than  in  the 
preceding  species. 

Habitat. — In  wet  places  ;  common,  especially  southward. 

Polygonum  Bistorta  Jjiime.— Bistort. 

Description. — Flowers  pink  or  white  in  a  dense  oblong  or  cjdindrical 
spike,  1  to  2  inches  long,  Styles  3.  A  perennial  with  a  thick,  cylindrical, 
somewhat  flattened  rootstock.  Stem  erect,  simple,  1  to  2  feet  high,  ter- 
minating in  a  flower  spike.     Leaves  mostly  radical  on  long  joetioles,  ovate- 


EUMEX — DOCK. 


!3r 


lanceolate  or  cordate,  5  to  G  inches  long  ;  stem  leaves  much  smaller  and  on 
shorter  petioles. 

Habitat. — In  the  Kocky  Mountain  region  and  northward  ;  common  also 
in  Northern  EurojDe  and  Asia. 

Farts  Used — Of  P.  bistorta  the  root ;  of  the  other  species,  the  herb — 
none  are  official. 

Constituents. — Bistort  contains  a  large  percentage  of  tannic  and  gallic 
acids.  Water  pepper  and  water  smartweed  possess  an  acrid  principle 
termed  polygonic  acid,  to  which 
they  owe  their  medicinal  virtues. 
This  acid  is  also  present  in  many 
other  species  of  the  genus,  in  a 
greater  or  less  percentage. 

Preparations. — Bistort  is  ad- 
ministered in  powder,  decoction,  or 
extract.  Water  pepper  and  water 
smartweed  are  commonly  adminis- 
tered in  decoction,  but  as  their  ac- 
tive princij)le  is  dissipated  by  heat 
or  long  keeping,  an  alcohoHc  tinc- 
ture, made  from  the  fresh  plant, 
is  the  best  form  in  which  to  pre- 
serve them  for  any  great  length 
of  time.  In  the  country  they  are 
gathered  and  dried  annually  for 
domestic  use,  and  do  not  seem  to 
lose  much  of  their  efficiency  dur- 
ing the  few  months  that  they  are 
kept. 

Medical  Projoetiies  and  Uses. — 
Bistort  is  used  both  toj^ically  and 


Fig.  151. — Polygonum  Bistorta. 


internally  as  an  astringent,  in  the  same  manner  as  many  other  di'ugs  rich  in 
tannin.  Water  smartweed  and  water  pepper  have  a  burning,  biting  taste, 
inflame  the  skin  when  rubbed  upon  it,  and  possess  somewhat  acrid  stimu- 
lating properties.  They  are  employed  in  domestic  practice,  externally  as 
counter-irritants,  and  internally  to  promote  the  menstrual  flow,  to  induce 
diaphoresis  in  acute  inflammatory  afl"ections,  etc.,  in  the  same  manner  as 
other  acrid  and  stimulating  drugs  are  used. 


RUMEX.— Dock. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Calyx  of  6  sepals  in  two  series  of  3  each  ;  the 
outer  series  herbaceous,  the  inner  larger,  somewhat  colored,  increasing  in 
size  after  flowering,  and  converging  over  the  triangular  achenium.  Stamens 
6,  styles  3  ;  stigmas  tufted.     Herbaceous  plants,  many  of  them  pestiferous 


238  LAURACE^. 

weeds  in  cultivated  fields,  with  small,  homely,  mostly  greenish  flowers  in 
close  panicled  racemes. 

Rumex  crispus  Linne. — Curled  Dock,  Yellow  Dock. 

Descrijifion. — Flowers  in  whorls,  crowded  in  long,  wand-like,  leafless 
racemes.  Inner  sepals  cordate,  obscurely  denticulate  or  entire,  and  com- 
monly bearing  a  grain-like  tubercle  on  the  back. 

A  smooth  perennial,  with  a  deep,  spindle-shaped,  yellow  root.  Stem 
erect,  2  to  4  feet  high,  with  few  commonly  erect  branches.  Leaves  curled 
and  wavy  on  the  margins,  lanceolate,  acute,  the  lower  truncate  or  obscurely 
cordate  at  the  base,  the  upper  smaller,  narrower,  and  gradually  passing  into 
mere  bracts. 

Habitat. — Natiu-alized  from  Europe  ;  common  in  cultivated  and  waste 
grounds. 

Rumex  orbiculatus  Gray  {R.  aquaticus  Fuvsh.'^) — Great  Water-Dock. 

Description. — Flowers  in  whorls  crowded  in  ujDright,  almost  leafless  ra- 
cemes, which  are  arranged  in  a  large,  comjDound  panicle  ;  pedicels  capillary, 
nodding,  about  twice  the  length  of  the  fruiting  calyx  ;  inner  sepals  orbicu- 
lar or  round-ovate,  obtuse,  obscurely  cordate  at  the  base,  membranaceous, 
finely  reticulated,  entire  or  repand-denticulate,  each  of  them  bearing  a 
grain-like  tubercle  on  the  back. 

A  smooth  perennial,  with  a  deep,  yellow  root.  Stem  stout,  erect,  5  to 
6  feet  high.  Leaves  smooth,  not  wavy  on  the  margins,  oblong-lanceolate, 
rather  acute  at  both  ends,  the  lowest,  including  the  petiole,  1  to  2  feet 
long. 

Habitat. — In  wet  places  ;  common,  especially  northward. 

Part  Used. — The  root  of  rumex  crispus  and  of  other  species  of  rumex. 
—  United  States  Pharmacoj^oeia.  Several  other  species  may  be  emjDloyed, 
but  those  above  described  sufficiently  represent  the  medicinal  properties 
of  the  genus. 

Preparations. — Extractum  rumicis  fluidum  ;  fluid  extract  of  rumex. — 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  It  is  also  employed  in  the  form  of  decoction 
and  syrup. 

Constituents. — Yellow  dock  closely  resembles  rhubarb  in  chemical  com- 
position, but  is  more  astringent. 

Medical  Proj^erties  and  Uses. — Yellow  dock  is  tonic,  astringent,  and 
slightly  laxative.  These  propei'ties  render  it  useful  in  a  variety  of  chronic 
affections,  such  as  scrofula,  obstinate  cutaneous  diseases,  dyspepsia,  syph- 
ilis, etc.,  in  which  an  alterative  and  depurative  effect  may  be  desired  for  a 
long  time. 

LAURACE^. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Trees  or  shrubs  with  simple,  alternate,  exstip- 
ulate,  mostly  pellucid-dotted  leaves.  Flowers  often  dioecious.  Calyx  of 
4  or  6  sepals  in  two  rows.     Stamens  8  to   12,  in  two  or  more  rows,  the 


SASSAFRAS. 


239 


8  or  4  innermost  usually  abortive  ;  anthers  opening  by  2  or  4  uplifted 
Talves.  Ovary  1-celled,  1-ovuled  ;  style  solitary.  Fruit  a  1-seeded  berry 
or  drupe. 

A  large  order  of  aromatic  plants,  chiefly  tropical,  represented  in  North 
America  by  only  about  half  a  dozen  species.  Of  the  tropical  species  the 
most  important  are  Camphora  officinarum,  which  yields  gum-camphor, 
and  the  various  species  of  Cinnamomum,  from  which  are  derived  the  cin- 
namon and  cassia  of  commerce. 

SASSAFRAS. 

■  Sassafras  officinale  Nees. — Sassafras. 

Description.— Floyvevfi  dioecious.  Calyx  6-parted,  spreading.  Sterile 
flowers  with  9  stamens  in  3  rows,  the  inner  row  with  a  pair  of  stalked 


\  m 


Fig.  152.— Sassafras  officinale. 


glands  at  the  base  of  each  ;  anthers  4-celled,  4-valved.  Fertile  flowers  with 
6  rudimentary  stamens  and  an  ovoid  ovary.  Fruit  a  blue,  ovoid  drupe, 
raised  upon  a  reddish  pedicel,  which  is  thickened  and  cup-shaped  at  its 
extremity. 

Northward  commonly  a  tall  shrub  or  small  tree,  10  to  20  feet  high ; 
fui'ther  south,  and  especially  in  rich  soil,  it  often  attains  a  height  of  40 
to  50  feet,  with  a  diameter  of  2  to  3  feet.  Leaves  4  to  5  inches  long,  ovate 
and  entire,  or  variously  lobed  ;  some  of  them  regularly  3-lobed,  others 
mitten-shaped.     Flowers  greenish-yellow,  naked,  clustered  in  peduncled 


240  EUPlIORBIACEiE. 

cor^onLose  racemes  at  the  ends  of  the  last  year's  branches,  unfolding  with 
the  leaves  in  AjDril  and  May.  The  twigs  and  young  branches  have  a 
smooth  yellowish-green  bark,  while  that  of  the  trunk  is  grayish  and 
deejDly  furrowed. 

Habitat. — From  Canada  to  Florida  ;  common. 

Pa7'ts  Used.  — The  bark  of  the  root — official  name,  Sassafras  ;  the  pith 
of  the  young  branches — official  name,  Sassafras  medulla —  United  States 
I*harmacopceia. 

Constituents. — Of  the  bark  of  the  root,  an  aromatic  volatile  oil  and  the 
common  constituents  of  plants.  Of  the  pith,  gummy  matter,  which  is 
readily  imparted  to  water,  forming  a  limpid  mucilage. 

Preparations. — Of  the  bark  of  the  root :  Oleum  sassafras — oil  of  sassa- 
fras. Of  the  pith  :  Mucilago  sassafras  medullaj — mucilage  of  sassafras 
pith. — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

lledical  Properties  and  Uses. — Sassafras  is  an  aromatic  stimulant.  Its 
chief  use  is,  however,  in  the  form  of  the  oil,  as  a  flavoring  agent.  Muci- 
lage of  sassafras  pith  is  used  as  a  demulcent  in  acute  febrile  and  inflam- 
matory affections. 

LINDBRA.  —Spice-Bush. 

Lindera  Benzoin  Meisner — Spice-Bush,  Wild  Allspice,  Fever-Bush. 

Description. — Flowers  polygamous-dioecious.  Calyx  6-parted,  spread- 
ing. Sterile  flowers  with  9  stamens  in  3  rows,  the  inner  row  bearing 
glands  at  the  base  ;  anthers  2-celled,  2-valved.  Fertile  flowers  with  15  to 
18  rudimentary  stamens  ;  ovary  globular.     Fruit  a  red,  obovoid  druj^e. 

A  shru.b  6  to  15  feet  high.  Leaves  oblong-obovate,  entire,  smooth. 
Flowers  yellow,  in  nearly  sessile  clusters,  each  of  4  to  6  flowers,  appearing 
in  March  or  April  before  the  leaves. 

Habitat. — In  damp  woods  and  copses  ;  common. 

Parts   Used.—Tlh.e  bark  and  fruit — not  official. 

Constituents. — A  volatile  oil,  and  common  vegetable  princij)les. 

Preparations. — The  oil  possesses  all  the  medicinal  virtues  of  the  plant, 
A  decoction  of  the  bark  or  fruit  is  most  commonly  employed. 

lledical  Properties. — The  bark  of  the  Sluice-bush  has  a  warm  spicy  taste, 
and  in  sufficient  doses  acts  as  a  vascular  stimulant.  It  has  been  employed 
to  produce  diaphoresis  in  acute  inflammatory  and  febrile  affections.  The 
fruit  has  been  employed  as  a  substitute  for  allspice,  and,  medicinally,  for 
the  same  purposes  as  the  bark.  The  aroma  of  the  plant  is  less  pleasant 
than  that  of  sassafras. 

EUPHORBIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Plants  with  opposite  or  alternate,  often  stipu- 
late leaves,  commonly  an  acrid  milky  juice,  and  monoecious  or  dioecious, 
apetalous,  sometimes  naked  flowers.     Perianth,  Avhen  present,  lobed,  and 


EUPHORBIA — SPURGE.  241 

witli  glandular,  scaly,  or  petaloid  appendages.  Stamens  few  or  many, 
separate  or  united  into  one  or  more  bundles.  Ovary  free,  usually  3-celled, 
each  cell  with  a  single  or  sometimes  a  pair  of  suspended  ovules  ;  stigmas 
or  branches  of  the  style  as  many  or  twice  as  many  as  the  cells.  Fruit  usu- 
ally a  3-lobed  pod,  the  lobes  or  carpels  separating  elastically  from  a  per- 
sistent axis  ;  seeds  often  arillate. 

In  the  tropics  a  very  large  and  important  order,  containing  many  acrid 
and  poisonous  plants.  Represented  in  North  America  by  only  a  few  gen- 
era, comprising  a  small  number  of  medicinal  species. 

EUPHORBIA.  —Spurge. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Flowers  monoecious,  collected  into  heads,  sur- 
rounded by  a  4-  to  5-lobed  involucre,  which  resembles  a  calyx  or  corolla. 
Within  the  involucre  are  a  number  of  stamens  surrounding  a  stalked 
ovary,  the  whole  resembling  a  single  flower  ;  but  as  each  stamen  is  jointed 
on  a  pedicel,  and  j^roceeds  from  the  axil  of  a  bract,  it  is  considered  as  a 
separate  flower,  hence  each  involucre  includes  a  number  of  staminate 
flowers,  each  consisting  of  a  single  stamen,  surrounding  a  solitary,  stalked 
pistillate  flower.  Ovary  3-lobed,  3-celled  ;  styles  3,  each  2-cleft,  Pod 
3-lobed,  si^litting  elastically  into  3  one-seeded,  2-valved  carpels. 

A  very  large  genus,  represented  in  North  America  by  numerous  herba- 
ceous species.  All  of  them  are  characterized  by  a  more  or  less  acrid,  milky 
juice. 

Euphorbia  corollata  Linne. — Large-Flowering  Spurge. 

Description. — Stems  several  from  a  large  branching  root ;  erect,  nearly 
simple,  2  to  3  feet  high,  glabrous  or  sometimes  Sparingly  hairy.  Leaves 
ovate,  lanceolate,  or  linear,  entire,  obtuse,  only  the  upjjermost  or  floral 
ones  whorled  or  opposite.  Flowers  in  5-  to  7-rayed  umbels,  the  rays  2-  to 
5-forked  ;  involucres  white,  petaloid,  showy,  on  long  peduncles.  Pod 
smooth,  on  a  slender  pedicel. 

Habitat. — In  rich  or  sandy  soil  from  New  York  to  Wisconsin  and  south- 
ward. 

Euphorbia  Ipecacuanhae  Linne. — Ipecacuanha  Spurge. 

Description. — Stems  numerous  from  a  long,  deep  perennial  root,  erect 
or  difiiisely  spreading,  5  to  10  inches  high,  branching  dichotomously  from 
near  the  base.  Leaves  obovate,  oblong,  or  narrowly  linear,  nearly  sessile, 
glabrous,  all  or  only  the  upper  ones  opposite.  Peduncles  axillary,  elongated. 
Involucre  petaloid,  4-  to  5-lobed,  with  the  same  number  of  obtuse  glands. 
Pod  long-pedicelled,  obtusely  angled,  nearly  smooth. 

Habitat. — In  sandy  soil  near  the  coast  from  New  York  southward. 

Several  other  indigenous  species  of  euphorbia  have  been  used  medici- 
nally, but  those  described  above  are  believed  to  well  represent  the  genus 
as  found  in  North  Ameiica. 


242  EUPHORBIACE.E. 

Part  Used. — The  root  o-f  both  species.  Formerly  official,  but  dismissed 
from  the  Pharmacopoeia  iu  1880. 

Constituents. — A  perfectly  satisfactory  analysis  of  these  plants  is  yet  to 
be  made.  That  they  contain  an  emetic  principle  is  very  evident,  but  it 
has  not  yet  been  isolated. 

Preparations. — Commonly  administered  in  powder. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Both  sj^ecies  possess  similar  if  not  quite 
identical  properties,  being  actively  emeto-cathartic  ;  in  small  doses,  diajDho- 
retic.  More  pleasant  to  the  taste  than  ipecacuanha  ;  either  of  them  may 
be  substituted  for  it  in  cases  where  emesis  is  desired,  and  cathartic  action 
is  not  objectionable. 

STILLINGIA. 

Stillingia  sylvatica  Linne. — Stillingia,  Queen's  Root. 

Description. — Flowers  monoecious,  collected  in  a  terminal  spike.  Calyx 
2-  to  3-cleft  or  parted.  Corolla  absent.  Stamens,  2  to  3  ;  anthers  adnate, 
extrorse.  Style  single  ;  stigmas  3,  diverging.  Pod  3-lobed,  3-celled,  3- 
seeded.     Seed  carunculate. 

An  herbaceou-S  perennial.  Stems  1  to  3  feet  high,  erect,  smooth,  from 
a  very  large  tapering  root.  Leaves  alternate,  oblong-lanceolate,  serrulate, 
nearly  sessile,  commonly  with  two  glands  at  the  base.  Fertile  flowers  few, 
at  the  base  of  a  dense  sterile  spike.     The  flowers  are  produced  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  sandy  soil  from  Virginia  southward. 

Part  Used. — The  root — United  States  Pliarmacopceia. 

Constituents. — Stillingia  has  a  strong  disagreeable  odor,  which  is  les- 
sened by  drying,  and  a  bitter,  acid,  and  pungent  taste,  which  persists  even 
when  the  dried  root  has  been  exposed  to  the  air  for  a  long  time.  It  has 
yielded  to  analysis  a  volatile  oil  possessing  the  odor  and  taste  of  the  crude 
drug,  and  a  resinous  body  Avhich  also  apjDcars  to  possess  medicinal  activity. 
The  so-called  oil  of  stillingia,  occurring  as  a  commercial  article,  is  said  to 
be  an  ethereal  extract,  not  without  medicinal  proi:»erties,  but  in  no  way 
resembling  the  true  volatile  oil. 

Preparations. — Extractum  stillingise  fluidum — fliiid  extract  of  stillin- 
gia.—  United  States  Pliarmacopceia.  It  is  also  administered  in  decoction 
and  syrup. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Stillingia,  in  large  doses,  is  an  active 
emeto-cathartic  ;  in  small  doses,  alterative.  By  that  class  of  practitioners 
who  reject  mercury  in  the  treatment  of  syphilis,  stillingia  is  very  largely 
employed  as  a  substitute.  In  scrofula,  chronic  cutaneous  and  hepatic  dis- 
orders, it  is  also  said  to  act  beneficially.  In  general  terms,  it  may  be  said 
to  have  earned  its  present  reputation  and  standing  as  a  remedy  in  those 
cases  which,  in  former  times,  were  considered  most  amenable  to  sarsapa- 
rilla.  Whether  its  reiDutation  rests  upon  a  more  secure  foundation  than 
did  that  of  sarsaparilla,  is  a  question  not  easy  to  decide.     One  thing,  how- 


ULMUS ELM. 


243 


ever,  must  be  conceded— stiUiugia  is  certainly  not  without  activity.  Now, 
while  it  is  not  claimed  to  act  specificaUy  in  syphiKs,  the  fact  seems  well  es- 
tablished that  in  certain  cases,  by  stimulating  the  secretory  functions,  it 
€xerts  a  very  beneficial  influence.  The  same  may  be  said  of  its  action  in 
scrofulous  and  cutaneous  affections.  It  undoubtedly  desei-ves  more  care- 
ful examination  than  it  has  hitherto  had,  in  order  that  its  sphere  of  use- 
fulness may  be  more  accurately  defined. 

URTICACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Or^er.— Plants  with  alternate  or  opposite,  stipulate 
leaves,  and  monoecious,  dioecious  or,  rarely,  perfect  flowers.  Calyx  regu- 
lar, monosepalous,  or  with  2  to  5  or  more  divisions.  Stamens  as  many 
as  the  segments  of  the  calyx,  and  opposite  them.  Ovary  free,  1-celled,  1- 
ovuled,  mrely  2-celled  ;  style  or  stigma  simple.     Fruit  1-seeded. 

A  very  large  order  of  chiefly  tropical  plants,  comprising  several  weU- 
characterized  sub-orders.     Not  very  well  represented  in  North  America. 

ULMUS.— Elm. 

Ulmus  ftilva  Wich^n^.— Slippery  Elm,  Red  Elm. 

Description.— Flowers  polygamous.  Calyx  bell-shaped,  7-  to  9-lobed. 
Stamens  7  to  9,  with  long,  slender  filaments.  Ovary  2-celled,  each  cell  1- 
ovuled  ;  styles  2,  diverging.     Fruit  a  1-celled,  1-seeded,  membranaceous 

samara. 

A  medium-sized  tree,  20  to  GO  feet  high,  1  to  2  feet  in  diameter,  with 
a  rough,  Hght-gray  bark  and  reddish  wood.  Leaves  alternate,  4  to  8 
inches  long?  ovate-oblong,  taper-pointed,  doubly  serrate,  rough  above,  soft- 
downy  beneath.  Flowers  reddish,  pubescent,  in  lateral  clusters,  preced- 
ing the  leaves  in  March  and  April. 

Ilahifaf.— In  rich,  rather  dry  soil,  from  Western  New  England  to  Lake 
Superior  and  southward. 

Part  Used.— The  inner  bark— ofiicial  name,  JJlmus— United  States  Phar- 
macopoeia. 

Constituents.— The  only  important  constituent  of  shppery  elm  bark  is 

an  abundance  of  mucilage. 

P?-epam<ions.— Mucilagoulmi— mucHage  of  elm.— United  States  Fhar- 
macoposia.     This  is  merely  an  infusion  of  the  sliced  bark  in  boiling  water. 

3Iedical  Properties  and  t^-es.- Slippery  elm  is  demulcent  and  slightly 
nutritious.  It  is  used  largely  in  acute  inflammatory  and  febrile  affections, 
either  alone  or  slightly  acidulated  with  lemon-juice,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  agents  of  its  cLiss,  seldom  or  never  deranging  the  stomach.  Ex- 
ternally it  is  often  employed  in  the  form  of  a  poultice,  being  first  gi-ound 
or  torn  into  shreds,  and  made  into  a  mass  of  proper  consistence  with  boil- 
ing water.  It  has  also  been  employed,  in  the  form  of  tents,  to  dHate  the 
neck  of  the  uterus  and  fistulous  tracts. 


244 


URTICACE^ 


MORUS.  —Mulberry. 


Morus  rubra  Linnc. — Red  Mulberry. 

Description. — Flowers  monoecious  or  dioecious.  Staminate  flowers  in 
drooping  axillary  sjoikes  ;  calyx  4-23arted  ;  stamens  4.  Pistillate  flowers 
in  dense,  ovate,  erect  spikes  ;  caljrs;  of  4  sepals ;  ovary  2-celled,  one  of  the 
cells  disappearing  during  tlie  development  of  the  fruit ;  styles  2,  filiform. 
"When  ripe  each  ovary  is  an  achenium  covered  by  the  succulent  calyx,  the 
whole  fertile  spike  becoming  a  dark-purple,  juicy  fruit  resembling  a  black- 
berry. 

A  small  tree  20  to  30  feet  high.  Leaves  alternate,  ovate,  cordate, 
pointed,  serrate,  rough  above,  downy  beneath  ;  those  of  the  young  shoots 
sometimes  2-  to  3-lobed.  The  flowers  appear  in  May  ;  the  berries  are  ripe 
in  July  ;  they  are  about  an  inch  long,  and  have  an  agreeable  sweetish  and 
acidulous  taste. 

Habitat. — In  rich  woods  from  New  England  to  Illinois  and  southward. 

Part  Used.— The  fruit- 
not  official. 

Constituents. — G 1  u  c  o  s  e , 
free  acid,  and  mucilaginous 
matter. 

Preparations. — Commonly 
used  in  the  form  of  a  syrup 
or  expressed  juice. 

Medical  Properties  and 
Uses. — Mulberries  are  shght- 
ly  laxative,  and  their  mildly 
acid  properties  render  them 
cooling  and  refreshing.  They 
are  chiefly  employed  in  the 
preparation  of  refrigerant 
drinks  in  acute  febrile  and 
inflammatory  affections. 


'  I 


i 


URTICA.— Nettle. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — 
Flowers  monoecious  or  dioeci- 
ous,   in  axillary  clusters   or 
Fig.  i53.-urtica  dioica.  spikcs.      Staminate  flowers; 

stamens  4,  inserted  around  the  rudiment  of  a  pistil.  Pistillate  flowers  ; 
sepals  4,  in  pairs,  the  outer  pair  smaller,  spreading,  the  inner,  in  fruit,  en- 
closing the  achenium. 

Annual  or  perennial  herbs,  with  stinging  hau's.     Leaves  opposite,  stip- 
idate.     Flowers  greenish. 


CANNABIS HEMP.  245 

Urtica  dioica  Linne. —  Common  Nettle. 

Stem  erect,  2  to  4  feet  high,  very  bristly.  Leaves  ovate,  cordate, 
pointed,  strongly  serrate,  mostly  smooth  above,  downy  underneath. 
Flower  spikes  much  branched. 

Habitat. — In  waste  places,  especially  about  dwellings  ;  introduced  from 
Europe. 

Urtica  urens  Linne. — Dwarf  Nettle. 

Stem  erect,  8  to  12  inches  high,  less  bristly  than  -the  preceding. 
Leaves  elliptical  or  ovate,  coarsely  and  deeply  serrate.  Flower  clusters  2 
in  each  axil,  the  staminate  and  pistillate  flowers  intermingled. 

Habitat. — In  waste  places  ;  introduced  from  Europe.  Less  common 
than  the  jareceding. 

Wood  Nettle  [Lajjortea  Canadensis  Gaudichaud),  an  indigenous  plant, 
closely  related  to  the  genus  urtica,  also  possesses  stinging  proj^erties,  and 
is  probably  hardly  less  efficient. 

I^arts  Used. — The  seed,  leaves,  and  tops — not  official. 

ConsUtaents. — The  stinging  hairs  of  nettles  contain  free  formic  acid, 
but  as  their  effect  upon  the  skin  differs  sensibly  from  that  of  pure  formie 
acid,  it  is  inferred  that  there  is  present  also  some  other  irritating  substance. 

Preparations, — The  expressed  juice,  decoction,  and  the  bruised  leaves. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Flagellation  of  the  skin  with  fresh  net- 
tles was  formerly  employed  for  counter-irritant  effect  in  paralysis,  and 
in  coma  whether  produced  by  disease  or  by  alcohol  or  opium.  Liternally 
the  drug  has  been  used  with  asserted  benefit  in  hemorrhages  from  the 
nose,  lungs,  uterus,  etc.,  and  in  catarrhal  affections. 

CANNABIS.— Hemp. 

Cannabis  sativa  Linne. — Hemp,  American  Hemp. 

Description. — Flowers  dioecious.  Staminate  flowers  with  5  sepals,  and 
5  drooping  stamens.  Pistillate  flowers  with  a  calyx  of  one  sepal  w^hich 
is  folded  around  the  ovary  ;  ovary  roundish,  1-ovuled  ;  stigmas  2,  filiform, 
glandular.     Achenium  ovate,  1-seeded. 

A  coarse,  pubescent,  somewhat  viscid  annual.  Stem  erect,  3  to  6  feet 
high,  angular,  branching.  Leaves  alternate  or  opposite,  on  long  weak 
'petioles,  digitate,  with  5  to  7  Hnear-lanceolate,  sharply  serrate  segments. 
Flowers  in  axillary  clusters  ;  staminate  clusters  lax,  droo^^ing,  leafless  at 
the  base ;  pistillate,  erect,  leafy  at  the  base. 

Habitat. — In  waste  places.  Largely  cultivated  in  some  of  the  Western 
and  Southern  States.     Introduced  from  EurojDe. 

Parts  Used. — The  flowering  tops.  Official  name,  Cannabis  Americana — 
American  Cannabis — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

This  plant  is  specifically  identical  with  that  affording  the  Cannabis 
Indica  {Indian  Hemp,  Hashish)  of  commerce,  and  has  received  the  above 
pharmacopoeial  name  simply  for  identification. 


246 


URTICACE^. 


Constituents. — The  constituents  of  American  cannabis  do  not  differ 
from  those  of  Indian  cannabis  save,  perhaps,  in  degi-ee  ;  authors  pretty 
generally  consider  the  latter  more  active  than  the  former.  The  active 
properties  of  cannabis  apjoear  to  reside  chiefly  in  a  resin  which  has  re- 
ceived  the  name  mn??a&wi;  but  there  is  also  found  a  small  proportion  of 
volatile  oil  possessing  the  characteristic  odor  and  taste  of  the  plant,  and 
producing  narcotic  effects.  Its  remaining  constituents  are  medicinally 
"unimportant. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  official  preparations  of  American  cannabis. 


Fig.  154.— Cannabis  sativa. 

It  may  be  employed  in  the  same  manner  as  Indian  cannabis,  namely,  in 
extract,  fluid  extract,  or  tincture. 

Medical  Propejiies  and  Uses. — Cannabis,  when  fresh,  has  a  peculiar 
narcotic  odor,  which  is  said  to  be  capable  of  producing  headache  and 
other  cerebral  symptoms.  This  property  is  considerably  diminished  by 
drying  and  long  keeiDing,  hence  the  drug  should  be  used  as  fresh  as  pos- 
sible. Indeed,  there  is  little  doubt  that  much  of  the  uncertainty  of  can- 
nabis is  dependent  upon  a  want  of  care  in  this  respect.  Cannabis  is  a 
powerful  narcotic,  causing,  first,  exhilaration  and  delirious  hallucinations, 
generally  of  a  pleasurable  character,  and  afterward  drowsiness  and  stu- 
por. Though  much  less  certain  than  opium,  it  has  none  of  the  unpleasant 
after-effects  of  the  latter,  and  is  often  used  instead  to  relieve  pain,  allay 
spasm,  and  produce  sleep. 


HUMTJLUS.— Hop. 

Humulus  Lupulus  Linne. — Hojx 

Description. — Flowers   dioecious.     Staminate  flowers  with  5  sejDals,  and 
5   erect  stamens.     Pistillate  flowers  with  a  single  sepal,  which  embraces 


HUMULtJS HOP. 


247 


the  ovary,  grows  with  it  after  flowering,  and  covers  the  achenium  at  ma- 
turity. 

A  perennial  plant,  with  annual,  angxilar,  rough,  twining  stems,  which 
climb  to  the  height  of  many  feet.  Leaves  mostly  opposite,  on  long,  wind- 
ing petioles,  the  smaller  ones  cordate,  the  larger  3-  or  5-lobed,  serrate, 
veiny,  and  very  rough.  Stipules,  2  or  4  between  the  petioles,  cvate,  re- 
flexed,  persistent.  Staminate  flowers  in  loose,  axillary  panicles  ;  pistillate 
in  catkins  of  numerous  foliaceous, 
imbricated,  concave  bracts,  each  2- 
flowered,  forming,  in  fruit,  mem- 
branaceous strobiles.  The  achenium, 
fruiting  calyx,  etc.,  are  covered  with 
yellow  resinous  grains,  called  liqmlin. 

Habitat. — The  common  hop  is 
widely  distributed  over  most  tem- 
perate regions,  growing  in  thickets 
without  cultivation.  It  is  indigen- 
ous to  North  America,  being  espe- 
cially common  in  the  northern  and 
western  portions  of  the  United  States. 
In  some  sections  of  the  country  it  is 
extensively  cultivated  for  use  in  brew- 
ing ale,  beer,  etc. 

Farts  Used.  —  The  strobiles  —  of- 
ficial name,  Humulus — Hops.  The 
glandular  powder  separated  from  the 
strobiles — ofiicial  name,  Lupulinum 
— Lupuhn. —  United  States  Pharma- 
copoeia. 

Constituents. — Hops  have  a  pecu- 
liar aromatic,  somewhat  narcotic  odor, 
and  an  aromatic,  bitter,  astringent  taste.  These  properties  are  more  strongly 
mai'ked  in  lupuliu  that  in  the  strobiles  after  this  has  been  separated  from 
them.  Lupulin  constitutes  from  one-tenth  to  one-sixth  the  w^eight  of  hops, 
and  contains,  as  its  most  important  constituents,  volatile  oil,  a  peculiar 
bitter  principle,  and  an  alkaloid  having  an  odor  somewhat  resembling  that 
of  conia.  The  scales  of  hops  from  which  the  lupulin  has  been  separated 
possess  the  same  active  principles  but  in  smaller  proportions. 

Preparations. — Of  hops  :  Tinctura  humuli — tincture  of  hojDS.  Of  lu- 
pulin :  Extractum  lupulini  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  lupulin  ;  oleoresina 
lupulini — oleoresin  of  lupulin. —  United  States  Pharmacopccia.  An  infusion 
of  hops  is  also  efiicient  and  is  often  employed. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Hops  are  tonic  and  slightly  narcotic. 
Theu-  tonic  influence  has  been  found  useful  in  debility  of  the  digestive 


Fig.  155. — Humulus  Lupulus. 


248  JUGLANDACEA. 

organs,  while  their  narcotic  and  sedative  effects  seem  most  pronounced  in 
irritable  conditions  of  the  geuito-ui-inary  tract.  A  pillow  of  hops  is  ono 
of  the  standard  remedies  among  the  laity  for  sleeplessness,  and  is  often 
used  with  the  happiest  effects.  Hop  fomentations  are  frequently  employed 
to  relieve  the  pain  of  abscesses  and  inflammations,  and  form  an  excellent 
application  for  the  purpose. 

JUCLANDACEA. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Trees  with  alternate,  pinnate,  exstipulate 
leaves.  Flowers  monoecious,  the  staminate  in  catkins,  with  an  irregular 
calyx  adnate  to  the  bract ;  the  fertile  solitary  or  in  small  clusters  or 
sj)ikes,  with  a  regular  3-  to  5-lobed  calyx  adherent  to  the  incompletely  2- 
to  4-celled,  1-ovuled  ovary.  Fruit  a  dry,  bony-shelled  drupe,  containing 
a  large  44obed,  oily  seed. 

A  small  order  of  trees  of  great  economic  importance.  Among  its  most 
important  representatives  in  North  America  are  the  butternut,  black- 
walnut  and  hickory. 

JUGL  ANS.  —Walnut. 

Juglans  cinerea  Linne. — Butternut. 

Description. —iitammate  flowers  in  long,  simple,  lateral  catkins  from 
the  wood  of  the  preceding  year  ;  calyx  unequally  3-  to  6-cleft.  Stamens  12 
to  40  ;  filaments  free,  very  short.  Pistillate  flowers  solitary  or  clustered  on 
a  peduncle  at  the  end  of  the  branches  ;  calyx  4-toothed,  with  4  minute 
petals  at  the  sinuses.  Styles  2,  very  short ;  stigmas  2,  club-shaped,  slightly 
fringed.  Fruit  oblong,  with  a  clammy,  fibrous-fleshy  epicarp,  and  a  very 
hard,  irregularly  and  deeply-furrowed  endocarp,  or  nut-shell. 

A  tree  20  to  50  feet  high,  with  gray  bark  and  widely  spreading  branches. 
Leaves  long,  unequally  pinnate  ;  leaflets  15  to  17,  the  lateral  sessile,  the 
terminal  petiolate,  oblong-lanceolate,  rounded  at  the  base,  acuminate, 
finely  serrate,  downy,  especially  beneath,  the  petioles  and  branchlets 
downy  with  clammy  hairs. 

Habitat. — In  rich  woods  and  in  flelds  ;  everywhere  common. 

Part  Used. — The  inner  bark  of  the  root — United  States  Pharmacojyoeia. 

Constituents. — The  most  important  constituent  thus  far  isolated  from 
butternut  bark  is  a  volatile  acid,  called  by  its  discoverer  juglandic  acid,  but 
believed  by  other  chemists  to  be  identical  with  nucin,  previously  found  in 
the  pericarp  and  leaves  of  Juglans  regia  Linne.  To  this  substance  is 
doubtless  due  the  greater  part  of  the  activity  of  the  bark. 

Preparations. — Extractum  juglandis — extract  of  juglans.  —  United  States 
Pharmacopoeia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Butternut  is  a  mild  cathartic,  resembling 


QUERCUS OAK.  249 

rliubarb  in  the  mildness  of  its  action  and  freedom  from  irritating  proper- 
ties.    It  lias  been  used  with  best  effect  in  habitual  constipation. 

CUPULIFER/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Trees  or  shrubs  with  alternate,  simple,  feather- 
veined  leaves,  furnished  with  very  deciduous  stipules,  forming  the  bud- 
scales.  Flowers  monoecious  ;  the  staminate  in  catkins  ;  the  pistillate  sol- 
itary, clustered  or  sj^iked,  and  provided  with  an  involucre  which  forms  a  cup- 
like receptacle,  or  an  entire  covering  to  the  1-celled,  1-seeded  nut.  Calyx 
adherent  to  the  ovary,  the  minute  teeth  crowning  its  summit.  Ovary  more 
or  less  2-  to  7-celled,  each  cell  1-ovuled,  only  one  of  which  matures.  Seeds 
comparatively  large,  thick  and  fleshy,  often  edible. 

An  order  of  few  genera,  but  comprising  many  valuable  sjDecies.  The 
oak  (Quercus),  chestnut  {Gastanea),  and  beech  {Fagus),  are  among  the  most 
important. 

QUERCUS.— Oak. 

Quercus  alba  Linne. —  White  Oak. 

Description. — Staminate  flowers  in  long,  slender,  pendulous  catkins ; 
stamens  5  to  12,  surrounded  by  narrow  scales  which  are  sometimes  united 
into  an  irregular  perianth.  Pistillate  flowers  scattered  or  clustered  ;  peri- 
anth more  or  less  6-lobed,  adherent  to  the  ovary,  which  is  about  3-celled, 
the  whole  enclosed  by  a  scaly,  bud-like  involucre  Avhich  becomes  a  hard, 
woody  cup  about  the  base  of  the  rounded  nut  or  acorn. 

A  large  tree,  sometimes  growing  to  the  height  of  70  to  80  feet,  with  a 
diameter  of  6  to  7  feet.  Leaves  ovate  or  obovate-oblong  in  general  out- 
line, obliquely  and  deeply  cleft  into  3  to  9  oblong,  obtuse  lobes.  When 
young  they  are  reddish  above,  whitish  and  downy  beneath,  but  at  matu- 
rity bright  gi-een  above,  and  smooth,  pale,  or  glaucous  beneath.  Cup 
hemispherical-saucer- shaped,  rough  or  tuberculated  at  maturity,  naked, 
much  shorter  than  the  ovoid  or  oblong  (1  inch  long),  sweetish,  edible 
acorn.     The  bark  is  very  light-colored,  whence  the  specific  name  of  the  tree. 

Habitat. — From  Canada  to  Florida  and  westward;  common. 

Part  Used. — The  bark,  deprived  of  the  corky  layer — official  name, 
Quercus  alba. — United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — The  only  important  constituent  of  oak  bark  is  tannin. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  official  preparations.  It  is  usually  em- 
ployed, whether  internally  or  topically,  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Oak  bark  is  astringent  by  virtue  of  its 
tannin,  and  is  used  for  the  same  purposes  as  other  vegetable  astringents. 
The  decoction  is  sometimes  employed  externally  to  prevent  the  formation 
of  bed-sores. 

Many  other  indigenous  species  of  oak  possess  essentially  similar  prop- 
erties. 


250  MYEICACE^. 

C  ASTANB  A.  — CnESTNUT. 

Castanea  vesca  Linne. — Chestnut. 

Description. — Staminate  flowers  clustered  upon  long,  pendulous  cat- 
kins ;  calyx  commonly  6-parted  ;  stamens  8  to  20.  Pistillate  flowers  few, 
usually  three  together  in  a  scaly,  prickly  involucre,  which  encloses  them, 
and  at  maturity  opens  by  4  valves  ;  calyx  with  a  6-lobed  border  which 
crowns  the  3-  to  7-celled,  6-  to  14:-ovuled  ovary  ;  stigmas  as  many  as  the 
cells  of  the  ovary,  and  surrounded  by  5  to  12  rudimentary  stamens.  Nuts 
coriaceous,  ovoid,  flattened,  1  to  3  in  number,  sweetish,  edible. 

A  large  tree,  30  to  50  feet  in  height,  with  a  diameter  of  3  to  6  feet. 
Leaves  6  to  7  inches  long,  1^  to  2  inches  wide,  oblong-lanceolate,  acumi- 
nate, sharply  serrate,  very  regularly  feather-veined,  when  mature,  smooth 
and  yellowish-green  both  sides.  It  blooms  in  June  and  July  and  matures 
its  fi'uit  after  frost,  when  the  bmTS  open  and  the  nuts  fall. 

Habitat. — In  rocky  and  hilly  places,  and  in  alluvial  or  sandy  soil  ; 
widely  distributed,  and  often  associated  with  oak  and  pine. 

Part  Used. — The  leaves,  collected  in  September  or  October  while  still 
green.     Ofiicial  name — Castanea. —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — Nothing  save  common  vegetable  principles  have  as  yet 
been  detected  in  chestnut  leaves. 

Preparations. — Extractum  castanese  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  castanea. 
—  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — There  is  much  doubt  regarding  the  medi- 
cinal activity  of  chestnut  leaves.  Introduced  as  a  remedy  for  whooping- 
cough,  the  drug  was  considerably  lauded  for  a  time,  but  its  slight  poj^u- 
larity  seems  akeady  waning.  In  absence  of  anything  to  establish  the 
presence  of  a  therapeutically  active  principle,  or  of  physiological  experi- 
ments to  prove  its  activity,  the  mere  statement  that  it  exerts  a  controlling 
influence  upon  a  disease  of  such  uncertain  course  as  whooping-cough  may 
well  be  received  with  caution. 

MYRICACE^. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Monoecious  and  dioecious  shrubs,  with  both 
staminate  and  pistiUate  flowers  in  short  scaly  catkins.  Leaves  alternate, 
resinous-dotted,  and  often  fragrant, 

A  small  order  having  few  representatives  in  North  America.  In  general 
they  possess,  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  aromatic,  astringent,  and  stimu- 
lant properties. 

MYRICA.  — B  AYBERKY. 

Myrica  cerifera  Linne. — Bayberry,  Wax-Myrtle. 

Description. — Flowers  mostly  dioecious.  Staminate  catkins  oblong, 
scattered  ;  pistillate  ovoid,  from  scaly,  axillary  buds.     Both  kinds  destitute 


COMPTONIA SWEET-FERW.  251 

oi  calyx  aud  corolla,  the  solitary  flowers  being  placed  each  under  a  scaly 
bract,  with  a  pair  of  bractlets.  Stamens  2  to  8.  Ovary  with  2  to  4  scales 
at  its  base  ;  stigmas  2,  Fruit  an  ovoid  nut  or  drupe,  covered  with  whitish 
wax. 

A  shrub,  3  to  8  feet  high.  Leaves  oblong-lanceolate,  narrowed  at  the 
base,  entire  or  somewhat  toothed  toward  the  apex,  shining  and  resinous- 
dotted  both  sides,  fragrant,  appearing  late  in  April  before  the  flowers. 
Nuts  scattered  or  clustered  along  the  last  year's  branches,  sometimes  per- 
sisting for  two  or  three  years. 

Habitat. — In  sandy  or  rocky  places  on  or  along  the  coast. 

Parts  Used. — The  bark  and  wax — not  official. 

Constituents. — Besides  common  vegetable  principles,  there  are  in  bay- 
berry  bark  an  acrid  resin,  an  astringent  resin,  and  a  peculiar  acrid  acid, 
termed  myricinic  acid.  Myrtle  wax  in  mass,  after  separation  from  the 
fruit,  is  greenish-gray  in  color,  with  a  consistence  intermediate  between 
that  of  beeswax  and  tallow.  It  burns  with  a  white  flame  and  a  fragrant 
odor. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  official  preparations.  The  bark  has  been 
used  chiefly  in  powder  and  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Bayberry  bark  is  an  acrid  stimulant 
and  astringent.  In  moderate  doses  it  j)roduces  a  sensation  of  heat  in  the 
stomach-;  in  large  doses,  nausea  and  vomiting.  The  powder  is  very  irri- 
tating to  the  nasal  mucous  membranes,  and  j^roduces  violent  sneezing.  It 
has  been  employed  to  some  extent  in  a  great  variety  of  diseased  conditions, 
but  without  acquiring  reputation  in  any.  Bigelow  stated,  sixty  years  ago, 
as  the  result  of  his  investigations,  that  it  is  "  more  interesting  in  a  chemi- 
cal than  a  medical  point  of  view  ; "  and  his  statement,  in  the  present  state 
of  our  knowledge,  scarcely  requires  comment  or  revision. 

COMPTONI  A.  —Sweet-Fern. 

Comptonia  asplenlfolia  Aiton.—Siveet-Fern. 

Description. — Flowers  monoecious  and  dioecious.  Staminate  flowers  in 
cyhndrical  catkins  with  imbricated,  concave,  reniform,  acuminate,  1-flowered 
scales ;  stamens  3  to  6.  Pistillate  flowers  in  egg-shaped,  burr-like  catkins  ; 
ovary  surrounded  by  8  long,  linear,  awl-shaped  scales,  which  are  persistent 
around  the  ovoid-oblong,  smooth,  1-seeded  nut. 

A  low  shrub,  1  to  3  feet  high,  slender,  branched,  somewhat  hairy. 
Leaves  alternate,  linear-lanceolate,  3  to  4  inches  long  by  half  an  inch  broad, 
deeply  pinnatifid  with  many  rounded  lobes,  resembling  those  of  a  fern. 
This  resemblance,  together  with  the  fragrance  of  the  leaves,  has  given  the 
plant  the  popular  name  of  sxveet-fern. 

Habitat. — In  dry  sterile  or  sandy  soil  from  Virginia  to  Wisconsin  and 
northward. 


252  BETULACE.E. 

Parts  used. — The  leaves  and  tops — not  official. 

Constituents. — The  most  important  constituents  are  volatile  oil  and  tan- 
nin. 

Preparations. — Commonly  used  in  decoction. 

Medical  Proj^eiiies  and  Uses. — Sweet-fern  is  stimulant  and  astringent. 
It  is  occasionally  employed  as  a  domestic  remedy  in  diarrhoea,  cohc,  etc. 

BETULACE>E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Trees  or  shrubs  with  simple,  alternate,  stipu- 
late leaves,  often  strongly  feather-veined.  Flowers  monoecious,  in  scaly 
catkins,  2  or  3  under  each  bract,  and  without  a  perianth.  Ovary  2-celled ; 
stigmas  2.     Fruit  a  dry,  1-celled,  1-seeded,  often  winged  nut. 

A  small  order  inhabiting  chiefly  the  northern  temperate  regions. 

BBTUL  A.  — Birch. 

Betula  lenta  Linne. — Siveet,  Black,  or  Cherry  Birch. 

Description.  — Staminate  flowers  3,  under  each  scale  of  the  catkin,  each 
with  4  short  stamens.  Pistillate  flowers  2  or  3  under  each  scale  of  the 
catkin,  each  consisting  of  a  naked  ovary  which,  in  fruit,  becomes  a  winged 
nutlet  or  samara. 

A  medium-sized  tree  with  brownish-red,  cherry-like  bark.  Leaves 
ovate  or  oblong-ovate,  cordate,  acuminate,  sharply  serrate,  smooth  and 
shining  above,  glabrous  beneath.  Sterile  catkins  long  and  droojDing,  ter- 
minal and  lateral,  formed  in  summer,  and  expanding  the  following  sj)ring. 
Fertile  catkins  oblong-cylindrical  in  fruit,  usually  terminal  on  short  lateral 
branches  of  the  season.  Bark,  of  the  younger  branches  especially,  aro- 
matic, having  the  odor  and  taste  of  gaultheria.  When  wounded  the  stem 
yields  a  saccharine  juice. 

Habitat. — In  moist  woods  from  New  England  to  Illinois  northward,  and 
along  the  Alleghanies  southward. 

Parts  Used. — The  bark,  leaves,  and  saccharine  juice— not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — The  bark  and  leaves,  by  distillation,  yield  a  volatile  oil 
identical  in  composition  with  that  obtained  from  gaultheria,  and,  it  is  said, 
frequently  sold  for  the  latter. 

Preparations. — Commonly  used  in  decoction.  The  oil  evidently  pos- 
sesses all  the  virtues  of  the  drug,  and  is  therefore  the  most  efiicient  prepa- 
ration. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — The  white  birch  of  Europe  {Betula  alba 
Linne)  and  the  related  American  species,  Betula  alba,  var.  Po/jf^ZZ/bZia  Spach, 
and  Betula  lenta  L.,  have  been  considered  purifiers  of  the  blood,  and  have 
been  employed  as  domestic  remedies  in  rheumatism,  gout,  cutaneous  aflfec- 
tions,  etc.     Whatever  virtues  they  possess  are  probably  due  to  their  vola- 


SALIX WILLOW.  253 

tile  oil,  and  as  this  is  identical  with  that  of  gaultheria,  their  therapeutic 
effects  must  necessarily  be  similar. 

ALNUS.— Alder. 

AInus  serrulata  Aiton. — Black  Alder,  Tag  Alder. 

Description. — Staminate  flowers  3,  rarely  6,  under  each  scale  of  the 
catkin  ;  calyx  3-  to  5-parted  ;  stamens  as  many  as  the  lobes  of  the  calyx, 
with  short  filaments.  Pistillate  flowers  2  to  3  under  each  scale  of  the  cat- 
kin ;  calyx  of  4  small  scales,  adherent  to  the  scales  of  the  catkin. 

A  slender  shrub,  6  to  12  feet  high.  Leaves  obovate,  acute  at  the  base, 
rounded  or  blunt  at  the  apex,  sharj)ly  serrate,  somewhat  coriaceous,  green 
both  sides,  smooth  or  downy  beneath.  The  flowers  appear  early  in  spring 
befoi'e  the  expansion  of  the  leaves,  the  staminate  ones  in  long  drooping 
catkins,  the  pistillate,  in  short  erect  ones,  which,  in  fruit,  are  ovate,  and 
persist  for  a  long  time  upon  the  stem. 

Habitat. — Common  in  swamps  and  along  the  marshy  borders  of  streams, 
from  Southern  New  England  to  Wisconsin  and  southward. 

Part  Used. — The  bark — not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — The  only  important  constituent  of  alder  bark  thus  far 
discovered  is  tannin. 

Preparations. — Commonly  used  in  decoction. 

Medical  Prop)erties  and  Uses. — Alder  bark  is  alterative  and  astringent. 
It  is  said  to  have  been  used  in  diarrhoea,  and  hsematuria.  In  some  sec- 
tions of  the  country  it  is  largely  employed  in  domestic  practice  as  a  puri- 
fier of  the  blood,  both  for  the  human  subject  and  domestic  animals.  The 
author  has  seen  it  employed  many  times  in  persons  afflicted  with  succes- 
sive crops  of  boils,  with  the  happiest  effect.  Evidently  such  effects  could 
not  have  been  produced  by  the  tannin  which  it  contains,  hence  there  is 
probably  present  some  other  principle  of  an  active  character  which  has  not 
as  yet  been  isolated. 

Other  species  of  alnus,  both  indigenous  and  exotic,  possess  similar 
properties. 

SALICACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Trees  or  shrubs  with  alternate  simple,  stipu- 
late leaves.  Flowers  dioecious,  in  catkins,  one  under  each  bract,  entirely 
destitute  of  a  floral  envelope.  Fruit  a  1-celled,  2-valved,  many-seeded  pod, 
the  seeds  provided  with  long  silky  down. 

A  small  order  comprising  two  genera,  namely,  Salix  and  Populus.  AH 
of  them  possess,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  bitter  tonic  properties. 

SALIX.— Willow. 
Character  of  the  Genus. — Scales  of  the  catkin  entire.    Staminate  flowers 
of  2  to  10  distinct  or  united  stamens,  with  1  or  2  small  glands.     Pistillate 
flowers  with  a  small,  flat  gland  at  the  base  of  the  ovary. 


254  SALICACE.E. 

A  veiy  large  genus  of  shrubs  and  trees,  growing  chiefly  along  water- 
courses in  the  northern  temperate  zone,  but  some  inhabit  high  mountains, 
and  one  is  found  nearer  the  north  j^ole  than  any  other  shrubby  plant.  All 
known  sj)ecies  are  bitter,  and  contain  salicin  in  a  greater  or  less  proportion. 
The  one  in  which  this  principle  is  most  abundant,  and  which  has  therefore 
been  chiefly  employed  medicinally,  is : 

Salix  alba  Linne. —  White  Willow. 

Description. — Catkins  long,  loose,  pedunculate,  borne  on  the  summit  of 
the  lateral  leafy  branches  of  the  season.  Scales  entire,  greenish-yellow, 
more  or  less  hairy,  falling  before  the  pods  ai-e  ripe.  Stamens  mostly  2  ; 
filaments  hairy  below.  Ovary  short-stalked  or  nearly  sessile,  glabrous ; 
stigmas  thick,  recurved. 

A  tr^e,  50  to  80  feet  high.  Leaves  lanceolate  or  elliptic-lanceolate, 
pointed,  somewhat  toothed,  clothed  more  or  less  -svith  white,  silky  hairs, 
esj)ecially  beneath. 

Habitat. — Introduced  from  Europe,  but  naturalized  and  very  common 
in  moist  situations. 

The  indigenous  sjDecies  of  willow  are  very  numerous,  and  many  of  them 
are  very  common,  but,  as  few  of  them  have  ever  been  employed  medicinally, 
they  need  not  occupy  our  attention  here. 

Part  Used. — The  bark  of  salix  alba  and  of  other  species  of  salix. — 
United  States  Pharmacojxxna. 

Constituents.— 'Willovj^  bark  contains  as  its  most  imj^ortant  constituent, 
salicin.  This,  as  remarked  above,  has  been  found  in  all  species  which  have 
been  examined.  On  this  account  the  Pharmacopoeia  recognizes  not  only 
saHx  alba,  but  "other  species."  The  bark  also  contains  considerable  tan- 
nin, and  common  vegetable  princij^les. 

Prepai'ations.— 'None  are  official.  It  has  been  employed  in  powder,  de- 
coction, and  infusion.  The  active  princii^le,  salicin,  is  the  most  eligible 
and  efiicient  form  in  which  to  employ  it. 

Medical  Pro2)e7iies  and  Uses. — Willow  bark  is  tonic  and  antiperiodic.  It 
has  been  used  in  intermittents,  and  as  a  tonic  in  dyspepsia,  debility,  and 
convalescence.  Recently  salicin  has  been  employed  with  asserted  benefit  in 
rheumatism. 

POPULUS.  --Poplar. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Scales  of  the  catkins  jagged  or  irregularly  cut- 
lobed  at  the  apex.  Flowers  in  a  cup-shaped  disk  ;  the  staminate  with  4  to 
30  stamens  ;  the  pistillate  of  a  single  pistil.  Trees  with  broad,  more  or 
less  cordate  leaves,  the  petioles  often  compressed  laterally,  thus  occasion- 
ing a  tremulous  motion  when  the  least  agitated.  Catkins  long  and  droop- 
ing, appearing  before  the  leaves. 

Populus  tremuloides  Michaux. — American  Asjyen. 

Description. — Scales  of   the  catkins  in  3  or  4  linear  divisions,  fringed 


POPULUS POPLAR.  255 

^ith  long  hairs.  A  tree,  20  to  50  feet  high,  with  smooth,  greenish-white 
"bark.  Leaves  roundish- cordate,  acuminate,  serrate,  smooth  both  sides, 
downy  on  the  margins ;  petioles  long,  slender,  laterally  compressed,  so 
that  the  gentlest  breeze  suffices  to  keep  the  leaves  constantly  agitated. 

Habitat. — In  woods  and  copses  ;  common. 

Populus  balsamifera  Linnt'. — Baham  Poplar,  Tacmahac. 

Description. — Scales  of  the  catkins  dilated,  slightly  hairy.  A  tree,  40  to 
80  feet  high.  Leaves  ovate,  acuminate,  serrate  with  appressed  teeth, 
smooth  both  sides,  green  above,  white  and  reticulate-veiny  beneath.  Li 
spring  the  buds  are  covered  with  an  aromatic  resin. 

Habitat. — In  moist  soil.  Northern  New  England  to  Wisconsin  and  north- 
ward. 

A  variety  of  this  species  {P.  candicans  Alton — Balm  of  Gilead)  differs  in 
having  the  leaves  broader  and  somewhat  cordate  ;  it  is  common  in  cultiva- 
tion as  a  shade,  tree. 

Parts  Used. — Of  P.  tremuloides,  the  bark  ;  of  P.  balsamifera  the  resin- 
ous exudation  of  the  buds — neither  is  official. 

Constituents. — The  bark  of  all  species  of  poplar  contains  a  crystalline 
principle,  termed  populin,  closely  resembling  salicin.  The  resin  of  the 
balsam  poplar  does  not  differ  materially  in  composition  from  other  aro- 
matic resins. 

Preparations. — Poplar  bark  is  commonly  administered  in  decoction  or 
infusion.  The  resin  of  the  balsam  poplar  is  readily  separated  from  the 
buds  by  boiling  them  in  water  ;  it  may  then  be  dissolved  in  alcohol,  and 
administered  in  this  form,  or  a  tincture  of  the  entire  buds  may  be  em- 
ployed. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Poplar  bark  is  a  bitter  tonic,  acting  like 
willow-bark,  and  possessing  feeble  antiperiodic  pi'operties.  It  is  little 
used. 

Poplar  balsam  is  reputed  tonic  and  stimulant.  It  was  formerly  used 
to  a  limited  extent  in  j)harmacy,  to  prevent  ointments  becoming  rancid. 

CONIFER/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Monoecious,  rarely  dioecious,  trees  or  shrubs  ; 
flowers  in  catkins,  destitute  of  calyx  and  corolla  ;  stamens  inserted  on  the 
axis  of  the  catkin  under  the  scales,  or  the  anther-cells  are  sessile  on  the 
scales  themselves  ;  ovules  and  seeds  naked.  Leaves  mostly  awl-shaped  or 
needle-shaped.     Juice  commonly  resinous. 

A  large  order,  dispersed  over  all  parts  of  the  globe,  most  abundant 
in  temperate  regions,  but  extending  also  to  the  tropics  and  frigid  zones. 
It  comprises  three  well-marked  sub-orders,  namely  :  Abietinede,  Pine 
JUmily ;  Cupressineae,  Cypress  Family ;  Taxineae,  Yew  Family. 


256  CONIFERS. 


ABIETINE^. 


Character  of  the  Sub-Order. — Ovules  2,  inverted,  in  the  axil  of  a  scale  or 
bract ;  bracts  imbricated,  in  fruit  forming  a  woody  cone. 

PIN  US. —Pine. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Sterile  catkins  clustered  about  the  base  of  the 
young  current-year  shoots  ;  the  fertile  at  the  apex,  and  maturing  the  fol- 
lowing year.  Leaves  2  to  5  in  a  cluster,  sheathed  at  the  base  by  thin,  chaff- 
like  persistent  scales. 

Trees  of  a  gregarious  habit,  often  forming  lal'ge  forests  ;  found  only 
in  the  Northern  hemisphere. 

Pinus  australis  Michaux  (P.  j)alustris  Linne.) — Long-leaved  or  Yellow 
Fine. 

Description. — Cones  6  to  10  inches  long,  cylindrical  or  conical-oblong, 
the  thick  scales  armed  with  a  short  recurved  spine.  Leaves  in  clusters  of  3, 
10  to  15  inches  long,  with  long  sheaths,  crowded  at  the  summit  of  thick 
and  very  scaly  branches.  A  tree  60  to  80  feet  high,  with  thin-scaled  bark 
and  very  resinous  w^ood,  dividing  near  the  summit  into  a  number  of  spread- 
ing branches. 

Habitat. — From  Southern  Virginia  southward,  growing  in  sandy  soil,, 
and  often  forming  forests  many  miles  in  extent, 

Pinus  Taeda  Linne. — Loblolln  ox  Old-field  Pine. 

Description. — Cones  3  to  5  inches  long,  elongated-oblong,  tapering,  the 
scales  tipped  with  a  stout  incurved  spine.  Leaves  in  clusters  of  2  or  3,  6  to 
10  inches  long,  with  long  sheaths.  A  tree  50  to  100  feet  high,  with  very 
thick,  furrowed  bark,  and  sparingly  resinous  wood  ;  when  growing  in  fields 
it  is  low,  with  spreading  branches. 

Habitat. — In  light  soil,  from  Delaware  southward  ;  often  establishing 
itself  in  fields  exhausted  by  cultivation,  hence  called  old-field  pine. 

The  above-described  species  may  be  taken  as  fairly  representing  the 
medicinal  trees  of  the  genus,  though  many  othei'S  possess  similar  or  identi- 
cal properties.  Recognizing  this  fact,  and  that  the  medicinal  derivatives 
of  pine  are  procured  from  a  variety  of  species,  the  United  States  Pharma- 
copoeia mentions  by  name  only  the  most  important,  Pinus  australis,  but 
adds,  "other  species  of  pinus." 

Parts  Used. — The  medicinal  virtues  of  pine  reside  in  its  oleo-resin. 
This  exudes  in  greater  or  less  quantity  from  all  species  when  wounded, 
most  abundantly,  however,  from  P.  australis,  and  is  oflScial  under  the 
name  terebinthina — turpentine.  From  it  are  procured  oil  of  turpentine 
and  resin,  while  from  the  wood  itself  tar  is  obtained  by  the  process  of  de- 
structive distillation. 

Constituents. — Turpentine,  as  it  exudes  from  the  tree,  is  a  yellowish. 


ABIES SPRUCE.  257 

Tiscid,  somewhat  opalescent  liquid,  of  an  agreeable  odor  and  a  pungent, 
bitterish  taste.  Exposed  to  the  air  for  a  length  of  time  it  concretes,  and 
forms  a  tough  mass  which  is  brittle  when  cold.  It  consists  of  volatile  oil 
and  resin.  The  former  is  separated  by  distillation,  and  is  the  spirit  of 
turpentine  of  commerce,  while  the  latter  is  the  non-volatile  residue,  com- 
mercially known  as  rosin.  Tar  is  an  empyreumatic  oleoresin  of  very  com- 
plex composition,  containing  acetic  acid,  methylic  alcohol,  creasote,  car- 
bolic acid,  etc. 

Preparations. — Of  turpentine  :  Oleum  terebinthinse — oil  of  turpentine, 
resina — resin.  Preparations  of  oil  of  turpentine  :  Linamentum  canthari- 
dis — cantharides  liniment ;  linamentum  terebinthinse — turpentine  lini- 
ment. Preparations  of  resin  :  Ceratum  resinse — resin  cerate  ;  emplastrum 
resin;i? — resin  plaster.  Preparations  of  tar  :  Syrupus  picis  liquidte — syrup 
of  tar  ;  unguentum  picis  liquidse — tar  ointment. —  United  States  Fharma- 
copceia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Crude  turi^entine  is  seldom  or  never 
used  internally  at  the  present  day  ;  since  its  virtues  are  believed  to  reside 
chiefly  in  its  essential  oil,  this  is  almost  universally'  employed  instead.  Oil 
of  turpentine  is  stimulant,  diuretic,  anthelmintic,  and,  in  large  doses,  cathar- 
tic ;  externally  it  is  rubefacient  and  mildly  vesicant.  In  small,  frequently 
repeated  doses  it  stimulates  the  kidneys,  augments  the  secretion  of  urine, 
and  occasionally  produces  strangury  and  haBmaturia.  In  large  doses  it 
produces  vertigo,  nausea,  and  often  brisk  catharsis.  It  is  used  in  a  great 
variety  of  cases.  Like  other  terebinthinate  medicines  it  is  often  employed 
in  the  later  stages  of  gonorrhcea,  and  in  other  catarrhal  affections.  In 
typhoid  fever,  and  in  other  affections  where  tympanites  is  a  prominent  and 
distressing  symptom,  it  often  affords  great  relief ;  and,  indeed,  in  low  ty- 
phoid conditions  generally  its  employment  is  commonly  very  satisfactory. 
Its  controlling  influence  in  passive  hemorrhages  has  also  long  been  recog- 
nized and  made  use  of.  As  a  vermifuge  it  often  enters  into  the  composi- 
tion of  draughts  for  the  expulsion  of  taenia.  Externally,  alone  or  in  com- 
bination, it  is  largely  employed  as  a  rubefacient. 

Eesin  is  employed  as  an  ingredient  of  plasters  and  cerates,  to  which  it 
gives  consistence  and  adhesiveness,  without  adding  sensibly  to  their  ac- 
tivity. 

The  medicinal  properties  of  tar  are  similar  to  those  of  turpentine, 
modified,  however,  to  some  extent  by  the  purely  empj'reumatic  bodies 
which  it  contains.  It  is  used  internally  and  by  inhalation  in  chronic  ca- 
tarrhal affections,  and  externally  in  a  variety  of  cutaneous  diseases. 

ABIES.— Spruce. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Sterile  catkins  scattei-ed  or  clustered  in  the 
axils  of  the  leaves  of  the  i^receding  year  ;  fertile  catkins  lateral  or  terminal 
on  the  branches  of  the  preceding  year  ;  both  appearing  in  spring,  the  cones 


258  CONIFERiE. 

maturing  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year.  Scales  of  the  cones  thin,  not 
tipped,  as  in  the  pine,  with  a  thickened  spine.  Leaves  rigid,  foHaceous, 
scattered,  not  fasciculate,  persistent  for  two  or  three  years. 

Abies  balsamea  Marshall. — Balaam  Fir. 

Description. — Cones  cjdindrical,  2  to  4  inches  long,  erect  on  the  upper 
side  of  the  spreading  branches;  scales  mostly  deciduous  from  the  persist- 
ent axis  at  maturity.  Leaves  ^  to  f  inch  long,  narrow,  flat,  rigid,  bright 
green  above,  silvery  beneath,  mostly  sessile  on  horizontal  branches,  and 
spreading  in  two  directions  so  as  to  seem  2-ranked. 

A  slender,  tapering  tree,  rarely  more  than  40  feet  high  ;  branches  dimin- 
ishing in  length  in  proportion  to  their  height  from  the  ground,  forming, 
under  favorable  circumstances,  a  perfectly  regular  pyramidal  head.  Bark 
rather  smooth,  bearing  resin  in  vesicles. 

Habitat. — In  cold  damp  woods  and  swamps  from  New  England  to  Penn- 
sylvania, Wisconsin,  and  northward  ;  common  in  Canada,  not  forming  for- 
ests but  disseminated  among  other  trees. 

Abies  Fraseri  Pursh. — Frasers  or  Southern  Balsam  Fir. 

Description. — Cones  oblong-ovate,  1  to  2  inches  long,  otherwise  much, 
like  the  preceding.     A  small  tree. 

Habitat. — Li  the  mountains  from  Pennsylvania  to  North  Carolina. 

Abies  Canadensis  IVIichaux. — Hemlock,  Hemlock  Spruce. 

Description. — Cones  oval,  -j  to  |  inch  long,  hanging  on  the  ends  of  the 
branches  of  the  preceding  year,  persistent ;  scales  not  falling  away  from 
the  axis.  Leaves  linear,  obtuse,  ^  inch  long,  scattered,  somewhat  2-ranked^ 
dark  green  above,  paler  beneath.  A  large  tree,  often  70  to  80  feet  high,, 
with  a  diameter  of  2  to  3  feet ;  in  forests,  with  spreading  branches  at  the 
top.  Bark  rough  and  deeply-furrowed  ;  wood  light,  coarse-grained,  but 
comparatively  strong,  largely  used  for  fences  and  outbuildings. 

Habitat. — La  hilly  and  rocky  soil.  In  many  regions  it  forms  forests  of 
considerable  extent,  especially  on  west  hillsides.  Most  common  north- 
ward. It  is  approaching  extinction  in  many  sections  of  the  Northern 
United  States,  since  it  does  not  flourish  as  a  second-growth  tree. 

Parts  Used. — The  resinous  exudation  of  all  sj)ecies.  That  procured 
from  A.  balsamea  is  official  under  the  name  Terebinthina  Canadensis — 
Canada  turpentine,  or  Canada  balsam.  It  is  contained  in  blisters  or  vesi- 
cles upon  the  bark  and  is  collected  by  puncturing  these  and  pressing  out 
their  contents.  A.  Fraseri  yields  a  balsam  of  identical  character.  The 
i-esinous  exudation  of  A.  Canadensis  is  official  under  the  name  Pix  Cana- 
densis— Canada  pitch  or  hemlock  pitch. 

Constituents. — Canada  turpentine  is  a  yellowish  or  faintly  greenish, 
transparent,  viscid  liquid,  of  an  agreeable  terebinthinate  odor,  and  a  bitter- 
ish, slightly  acrid  taste.  Exposed  to  the  air  it  slowly  concretes,  and  forms- 
a  mass  which  is  brittle  when  cold.  It  is  composed  of  volatile  oil  and 
resm. 


LARIX LARCH.  259 

Canada  pitch  is  in  opaque,  reddish-brown  masses,  hard  and  brittle  at 
ordinary  temperatures,  but  readily  softening  by  the  application  of  little 
heat.     It  contains  resin,  and  a  minute  proportion  of  volatile  oil. 

Preparations. — Of  Canada  turpentine  :  none.  Of  Canada  pitch  :  Em- 
plastrum  picis  Canadensis — Canada  pitch  plaster, — United  States  .Pharmaco- 
poeia. 

lledical  Properties  and  Uses. — Canada  turpentine  does  not  differ  mate- 
rially in  action  from  common  turpentine,  and  is  seldom  emj^loyed  medici- 
nally. Canada  pitch,  applied  externally  in  the  form  of  a  plaster,  produces 
mild  rubefaction,  by  -sdrtue  of  its  volatile  oil.  It  is  employed  to  some  extent 
as  a  substitute  for  Burgundy  pitch,  the  product  of  A,  excelsa  of  Europe, 

The  bark  of  A.  Canadensis  is  very  astringent  and  is  largely  used  in 
tanning.  An  extract  prepared  from  it  occurs  as  a  commercial  article  and 
has  been  employed  to  some  extent  as  a  topical  astringent.  It  appears  to 
have  no  advantages  over  other  common  vegetable  astringents, 

LARIX.— Larch. 

Larix  Americana  Michaux. — American  Larch,  Tamarack. 

Description. — Catkins  terminating  short  lateral  branches  of  the  preced- 
ing year,  the  sterile  from  leafless  buds,  the  fertile  mostly  with  leaves  below  ; 
cones  ovoid,  2  to  f  inch  long  ;  scales  few,  rounded,  not  thickened.  Leaves 
needle-shajDed,  soft,  fasciculate,  deciduous.  A  tall,  slender  tree,  with  hori- 
zontal branches,  and  thin  scaly  bark,  from  which  exudes  an  aromatic  resin. 

Habitat. — In  swamps  and  marshy  borders  of  small  lakes  and  ponds  from 
New  England  to  Pennsylvania  and  Wisconsin  ;  most  common  northward. 
It  attains  its  greatest  perfection  in  peat  swamps  ;  indeed,  an  abundant 
growth  of  this  ti-ee  in  a  swamp  is  almost  certain  evidence  of  a  deiDOsit  of 
peat. 

Parts  Used. — The  inner  bark  and  the  resinous  exudation — not  official. 

Constituents. — It  does  not  appear  that  an  analysis  of  the  bark  of  the 
American  larch  has  yet  been  made.  The  bark  of  an  allied  European 
species  L.  Europ)cea  contains  tannin  of  a  peculiar  character,  and  another 
acid  principle  allied  to  pyrogallic  acid  and  pyrocatechu.  The  resinous 
exudation  contains  resin  and  a  small  quantity  of  volatile  oil. 

Preparations. — The  bai'k  is  commonly  employed  in  decoction.  The 
resinous  exudation,  is  an  article  of  commerce  under  the  name  of  tamarack, 
or  spruce  gum.  It  is  prepared,  generally  by  sophistication  with  other 
cheaper  substances,  for  use  as  chewing-gum. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Little  is  known  of  the  therapeutic  prop- 
erties of  tamarack  bark,  though  it  is  said  to  be  laxative,  tonic,  diuretic, 
and  alterative.  Tamarack  gum  has  no  inherent  medicinal  properties. 
Being  chewed,  it -stimulates  the  salivary  secretion,  and  to  some  dyspep- 
tics affijrds  a  certain  amount  of  relief  :  but  whether  this  is  because  of  the 


260  CONIFERS. 

increased  flow  of  saliva,  or  that  the  act  of  chewing  keeps  their  minds  off 
the  subject  of  digestion,  which  consequently  goes  on  more  smoothly,  are 
questions  not  easily  answered.  That  some  dyspeptics  are  relieved  by  the 
practice  is  certain.  And  yet,  it  may  be  well  to  add,  tamarack  gum  is 
chiefly  chewed,  not  for  medicinal  purposes,  but  simply  as  a  habit. 

CUPRESSINE^. 

Character  of  the  Sub-Order. — Fertile  flowers,  consisting  of  a  few  carpel- 
lary  scales,  without  bracts,  bearing  single  or  several  erect  ovules  on  their 
face,  forming  a  closed  strobile,  or  a  sort  of  drupe  in  fruit. 

THUJA.— Arbor  Vit^. 

Thuja  occidentalis  Linne. — American  Arbor  Vitce,  Yellow  Cedar, 
Wliite  Cedar. 

Description. — Flowers  mostly  monoecious  on  different  branches,  in 
small,  terminal,  ovoid  catkins.  Stamens  with  4  anther  cells.  Fertile 
catkins,  with  a  few  imbricated  scales,  each  bearing  two  ovules.  Cones 
small ;  scales  smooth,  not  thickened  ;  seeds  winged  all  around.  Leaves 
appressed,  closely  imbricated  in  4  rows  on  the  2-edged  branchlets,  per- 
sistent, evergreen,  shining. 

A  tree,  30  to  50  feet  high,  with  a  rapidly  tapering  trunk,  and  horizon- 
tal or  declinate  branches,  often  from  base  to  summit.  Wood  light,  some- 
what resinous,  very  durable. 

Habitat. — In  deep,  cold  swamps,  often  associated  with  tamarack,  and  on 
wet,  rocky  banks  ;  common. 

Parts  Used. — The  fresh  tops  (small  branchlets  with  their  covering  of 
imbricated  leaves) —  United  States  Pharmacopaia. 

Constituents. — Thuja  has  a  balsamic,  somewhat  terebinthinate  odor,  and 
a  pungently  aromatic,  camphoraceous  and  bitter  taste.  It  has  yielded  to 
analysis  volatile  oil,  a  peculiar  crystalline  principle  termed  thujin,  and 
common  vegetable  principles. 

Preparations. — There  are  no  official  preparations.  Fluid  extracts  and 
tinctures  occur  as  commercial  articles.  These  should  be  made  from  the 
fresh  drug. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Thuja  possesses  stimulating  properties 
similar  to  those  of  terebinthinate  drugs  generally,  but  is  probably  more 
nearly  allied  to  savine  in  its  action  than  to  any  other  remedy  of  the  class. 
It  has  been  employed  in  amenorrhcea,  catarrhal  affections,  passive  hemor- 
rhage, etc.  Externally  it  is  useful  in  repressing  fungous  granulations, 
removing  warts,  etc. 

Thuja  should  be  carefully  distinguished  from  Cujyressus  thyoides,  also, 
and  more  properly  called,  white  cedar. 


JUNIPEKUS JUNIPER. 


261 


JUNIPERUS.  —Juniper. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Flowers  dioecious,  occasionally  monoecious, 
in  very  small  lateral  catkins.  Anthers  3  to  6,  one-celled,  inserted  in  the 
lower  edge  of  the  scales.  Fertile  flowers  few  in  a  small  ovoid  catkin,  of 
3  to  6,  fleshy  coalesceut  scales,  each  one-ovuled.  Fruit  berry-like,  though 
in  reality  a  reduced  fleshy  cone,  with  scaly  bracts  at  the  base,  black  with  a 
whitish  bloom. 

Evergreen  shrubs  or  trees  with  small,  scale-like  leaves. 

Juniperus  communis  Linne. — Common  Junijjer. 

Berries  globular,  one-third  inch  in  diameter,  dark-pm*plish,  and  covered 
with  a  whitish  bloom.  Leaves  artic- 
xdated,  in  whorls  of  3,  with  a  slender 
prickly  point,  one-half  to  three-fourths 
of  an  inch  long,  bright  green  below, 
glaucous-white  above. 

A  low  shrub,  4  to  6  feet  high,  as- 
cending or  spreading  on  the  gi'ound. 

Habitat. — On  dry  sterile  hills  ; 
common.  It  is  abundant  also  in  Eu- 
rope, where  it  fruits  more  freely  than 
here. 

Juniperus  Virginiana Linne. — 
Bed  Cedar. 

Description. — Berries  smaller  than 
in  the  preceding.  Leaves  of  two  dif- 
ferent forms  ;  the  younger  ones  small, 
ovate,  acute,  scale-like,  imbricate  in 
four  rows  upon  the  sub-divided 
branchlets ;  the  older,  awl-shaped, 
loose,  one-half  inch  long.  The  latter 
form  is  common  in  young  plants, 
making  them  resemble,  to  some  ex- 
tent, the   preceding   species.  Fig.  156._Junipenis  communis. 

A  shrub  or  small  tree  in  the  East,  but  westward  often  attaining  a  height 
of  60  to  90  feet. 

Habitat. — In  sterile  or  rocky  soil ;  common. 

Parts  Used. — Of  J.  communis  :  the  fruit —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 
Of  J.  Virginiana  :  the  tops — formerly  official,  but  dropped  from  the  Phar- 
macopoeia in  1880. 

Constituents. — Juniper  berries  contain  a  small  percentage  of  fragrant 
volatile  oil,  a  peculiar  principle  termed  juniperin,  and  common  vegetable 
principles.  Ked  cedar  contains  volatile  oil,  resin,  and  common  vegetable 
principles. 


262  CONIFEE^. 

Prejparations. — Of  juniper  berries :  Oleum  juniperi — oil  of  juniper  ;  spir- 
itus  juniperi — spirit  of  juniper  ;  spiritus  juniperi  compositus — compound 
spirit  of  juniper. —  United  States  Fharmacopceia. 

Keel  cedar  has  been  most  commonly  employed  in  infusion  or  decoc- 
tion. The  berries  possess  properties  similar  to  those  of  common  juniper, 
and  have  been  employed  in  the  same  manner. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Juniper  berries  are  stimulant,  dim-etic, 
carminative  and  emmenagogue,  imparting  to  the  ui-ine  the  odor  of  violets, 
and  sometimes  producing  ii-ritation  of  the  m-inary  passages.  They  are 
chiefly  employed  as  an  adjuvant  to  other  more  active  medicines. 

Eed  cedar  resembles  savine  in  action,  but  is  seldom  used. 

TAXUS. 

Taxus  baccata  Linne  var.  Canadensis  Gray. — American  Yew, 
Ground  Hemlock. 

Description. — Flowers  dioecious  or  monoecious ;  the  sterile  in  smaU. 
globidar  catkins  formed  of  a  few  naked  stamens  ;  fertile  solitary,  consisting 
of  an  erect  ovule  with  an  annular  disk,  becoming  in  fruit  pulpy  and  berry- 
like, globular  and  red,  enclosing  a  single  nut-like  seed.  Leaves  evergreen, 
one-half  to  three-fourths  inch  long,  flat,  mucronate,  rigid,  2-ranked,  much 
resembling  those  of  the  hemlock  spruce,  but  larger.  A  low,  diffusely 
spreading  shrub. 

Habitat. — In  dark  shady  places,  often  under  other  evergreens,  flourish- 
ing equally  well  in  cedar  swamps,  uplands,  and  rocky  gorges  ;  very  com- 
mon everywhere.     Li  some  sections  wrongly  called  jjoison  hemlock. 

This  plant,  a  variety  only  of  the  Eui-opean  yew,  cannot  be  said  to  have, 
as  yet,  a  place  among  medicines.  It  is  believed,  however,  to  possess  j)oi- 
sonous  properties,  and  is  perhaps  worthy  of  investigation.  Regarding  the 
poisonous  properties  of  the  berries,  the  author  can  state  that  he  has  eaten 
them  without  deleterious  effect,  but  whether  because  the  quantity  was  in- 
sufficient or  not,  is  an  open  question.  Cases  of  fatal  poisoning  from  eating 
the  berries  of  the  European  yew  are  on  record,  and  therefore  ovoc  variety 
is  certainly  open  to  suspicion. 


CLASS  n.— MONOCOTYLEDONOUS  OR  ENDOGENOUS  PLANTS. 

Stems  with  no  distinction  of  bark,  wood,  and  pith,  their  fibrous  and 
cellular  tissue  being  ii-regularly  commingled.  When  perennial,  such  stems 
do  not  increase  by  the  deposition  of  annual  layers  outside  the  wood 
already  formed,  but  by  new  material  dej)osited  within,  whence  the  term 
endogenous,  that  is,  gro^\-ing  within.  Leaves  commonly  parallel-veined, 
sheathing  at  the  base,  and  not  articulated  with  the  stem.     Parts  of  the 


ARIS^MA INDIAN    TURNIP.  263 

flower  in  threes.     Embryo  with  a  single  cotyledon  (or  seed-leaf),  whence 
the  term  monocotyledonous. 


ARACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Plants  with  an  acrid  or  pungent  juice,  simple 
or  compound  alternate  leaves,  and  flow- 
ers on  a  spadix  which  is  commonly 
surrounded  by  a  spathe.  Floral  enve- 
lopes absent,  or  of  -4  to  6  sepals.  Fruit 
usually  a  berry. 

A  large  order  of  chiefly  tropical 
plants.  In  general  they  possess  acrid 
and  irritating  properties. 

ARIS^MA.— Indian  Turnip. 

Arisaema  triphyllum  Torrey. — 

Indian  Turnip. 

Description.  —  Flowers  monoecious 
or  by  abortion  dioecious,  crowded  upon 
the  base  of  an  elongated,  club-shaped 
spadix,  which  is  surrounded  and  cov- 
ered by  a  flattened,  incurved,  hooded 
spathe  ;  both  spathe  and  spadix,  the  for> 
mer  especially,  often  variegated  Avith 
dark  purple  spots  and  stripes.  Floral 
envelope  absent.  Sterile  flowers  above 
the  fertile,  each  of  a  cluster  of  2-  to  4- 
celled  anthers  ;  fertile  flowers,  consist- 
ing of  a  single  1-celled,  5-  to  6-ovuled 
ovary,  forming  in  fruit  a  scarlet,  1-  to  5- 
seeded  berry.     Leaves  mostly  two,  di-  ^i«-  is-.-Arisrema  triphyiium. 

vided  into  3  elliptical-ovate,  entire,  pointed,  veiny  leaflets. 

A  low  perennial  herb,  with  a  wrinkled,  turnip-shaped,  farinaceous  corm. 
It  blooms  in  April  and  IMay. 

Habitat. — In  rich  woods,  everywhere. 

Pa7^ts  Used. — The  corm— not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — Indian  turnip  contains  an  intensely  acrid  principle  which 
has  not  yet  been  isolated.  It  is  evidently  very  volatile,  being  partially  lost 
in  drying,  and  entirely  so  by  long  keeping. 

Preparations.— It  has  been  employed  in  substance  and  in  syrup. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — In  the  recent  state  Indian  turnip,  applied 
to  the  skin,  may  vesicate  ;  being  chewed  it  leaves  in  the  mouth  an  acrid 


264  ARACE^. 

impression  wliich  persists  for  Lours.  It  lias  been  employed  cliiefly  in 
domestic  practice,  as  a  stimulating  expectorant,  and  to  relieve  flatulent 
colic.  Topically  it  has  been  emj^loyed  in  aphthous  sore  mouth,  as  a 
stimulant  to  indolent  ulcers,  and  in  cutaneous  affections. 

SYMPLOCARPUS.— Skunk  Cabbage.  ; 

Symplocarpus  fcetidus  Salisbury. — Skunk  Cabbage. 

Descrij^tion. — Flowers  perfect,  thickly  crowded  ujDon  a  globular,  short- 
stalked  spadix,  which  is  surrounded  and  covered  by  a  fleshy,  hooded  spathe  ; 
the  latter  strij^ed  and  sjDotted  with  purple.  Sepals  4,  hooded.  Stamens 
4,  opiDosite  the  sepals.  Ovary  1-celled,  immersed  in  the  fleshy  receptacle  ; 
Style  4-angled  ;  stigma  small.  Fruit  a  globular  mass,  2  to  3  inches  in 
diameter,  composed  of  the  enlarged  fleshy  spadix  enclosing  the  seeds  just 
below  the  surface. 

A  perennial  herb,  vdth  a  thick  descending  root-stock,  and  numex'ous 
strong  fibrous  roots.  Leaves  all  radical,  1  to  2  feet  long  when  fully  grown, 
ovate,  cordate,  entire,  short  petioled,  smooth  and  shining  green.  It  blooms 
very  early  in  spring,  sometimes  even  in  winter  when  the  weather  is  mod- 
erate ;  the  fruit  matures  about  September. 

Habitat. — In  bogs  and  wet  places,  often  associated  with  veratrum  ^d- 
ride  ;  common. 

Farts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  roots.  Formei'ly  official  under  the  name 
dracontium,  but  droj)ped  from  the  Pharmacopoeia  in  1880. 

Constituents. — AU  parts  of  this  plant  have  a  strong  odor  like  that  of 
the  skunk.  The  root  has  an  acrid,  j)ungent  taste,  and  possesses  an  acrid 
principle  of  a  volatile  character  which  has  not  been  isolated.  This  prin- 
ciple is  dissipated  in  drying  or  by  heat,  and  is  entirely  lost  by  long  keep- 
ing. 

Preparations. — It  has  been  employed  in  infusion,  tincture,  and  in  sub- 
stance. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Skunk  cabbage  has  been  used  chiefly  in 
spasmodic  affections,  its  disgusting  odor  having  probably  first  afforded 
the  suggestion.  It  is  said  to  have  produced  happy  effects  in  spasmodic 
asthma  and  iii .hysteria.  In  the  latter  it  probably  acts  quite  as  strongly 
upon  the  mind  as  upon  the  body  of  the  patient,  possibly  more  so.  As  its 
activity  is  diminished  or  lost  by  long  keeping,  it  is  essential  that  the  drug 
be  used  as  fresh  as  possible,  or  at  least  that  the  preparations  employed  be 
made  from  the  fresh  i^lant. 

ACORUS.— Sweet  Flag. 

Acorus  Calamus  Linne. — Sweet  Fla,g,  Calamus. 

Description. — Flowers  perfect,  thickly  crowded  upon  a  cylindrical 
spadix  which  emerges  from  the  side  of  a  simple,  2-edged,  leaf-like  scape. 


ALISMA WATER    PLANTAIN.  265 

Sepals  6,  concave.  Stamens  6  ;  filaments  linear ;  anthers  reniform. 
Ovary  2-  to  3-celled,  each  cell  several-ovuled  ;  stigma  minute.  Fruit  at 
length  dry,  gelatinous  inside,  1-  to  few-seeded. 

A  perennial  herb  with  thick,  creeping  rootstocks,  from  which  are  sent 
up  2-edged  leaves  and  scapes.     It  flowers  early  in  summer. 

Habitat. — In  wet  j)laces  ;  common  both  here  and  in  Europe. 

Part  Used.— The.  rhizome.  Official  name  :  Calamus —  United  States 
Pharmacopoiia. 

Constituents. — Calamus  has  a  pungent,  bitterish  and  aromatic  taste,  and 
a  strong  fragrant  odor.  It  contains  a  small  jDcrcentage  of  volatile  oil,  a 
bitter  principle,  and  common  vegetable  constituents. 

Drejyarations. — Extractum  calami  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  Calamus. — 
United  States  Pharniacopoiia. 

lledical  Properties  and  Uses. — Calamus  is  an  aromatic  which  excites  a 
sensation  of  warmth  in  the  stomach,  improves  the  appetite,  and  aids  diges- 
tion.    It  is  used  chiefly  as  an  adjuvant  of  other  more  powerful  remedies. 

ALISMACE/E. 

Marsh  herbs  with  scape-like  flowering  stems,  and  perfect  or  monce- 
eious  flowers.  Sepals  and  petals  3,  distinct.  Stamens  6,  hypogynous. 
Ovaries  3  to  many,  distinct  or  jjartly  so,  and,  if  united,  separating  at  matu- 
rity into  three  1-  or  2-seeded  pods  or  achenia. 

An  order  comprising  two  sub-orders,  only  one  of  which,  Alismece,  has 
medicinal  species. 

ALISMA. — Water  Plantain. 

Alisma  plantago  Linne  (var.  Americanum  Gray). — Water  Plan- 
tain. 

Description. — Flowers  perfect,  numerous,  on  compound  paniculate 
scapes.  Sepals  3,  green,  persistent.  Petals  3,  involute  in  the  bud,  white, 
deciduous.  Stamens  commonly  G.  Ovaries  many,  in  a  simj)le  circle  on  a 
flattened  receptacle,  forming  obliquely-ovate,  coriaceous  achenia,  which  are 
dilated,  and  2-  to  3-keeled  on  the  back. 

A  pei-ennial  herb.  Leaves  ovate,  oblong  or  lanceolate,  pointed,  mostly 
rounded  or  cordate  at  the  base,  3-  to  9-nerved,  on  long  petioles. 

Habitat. — In  shallow  water  ;  common. 

Parts  Used. — The  root  and  leaves.     Not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — It  has  been  employed  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Little  can  be  said  on  this  subject.  It 
has  been  employed  with  asserted  benefit  in  hydrophobia,  and  for  diuretic 
effect  in  nephritic  and  calculous  affections. 


266  OECHIDACE^. 


ORCHIDACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs  with  perfect,  irregular  flowers.  Peri- 
anth of  6  divisions,  in  2  sets ;  the  three  outer  (sepals)  commonly  petaloid ; 
of  the  three  inner  (petals)  one  is  commonly  more  or  less  different  in  form 
from  the  others,  and  is  called  the  labellum  or  lip  ;  it  is  commonly  directed 
forward.  In  front  of  the  lip  is  the  column,  composed  of  a  single  stamen, 
or  in  Cypripedium,  of  two,  with  the  rudiment  of  a  third,  coherent  with,  or 
borne  upon  the  thick  fleshy  style  or  stigma ;  anther  2-celled,  each  cell  con- 
taining one  or  more  masses  of  pollen.  Stigma  a  broad  glutinous  surface, 
except  in  Cypripedium.  Ovary  1-celled,  with  innumerable  ovules  on  3 
parietal  placenta3.  Fruit  a  1-celled,  3-valved  pod,  with  innumerable  very 
small  seeds. 

Perennial  herbs,  with  alternate  leaves,  often  tuberous  roots,  and  showy, 
irregular,  often  singularly-shaped  flowers.  A  very  large  order  of  chiefly 
tropical  plants.  The  North  American  species  are  in  general  of  little  medi- 
cinal importance. 

COR  ALLORHIZ  A.  — CoRAL-RooT. 

Corallorhiza  odontorhiza  Nuttall. — Coral-Root. 

Description. — Perianth  somewhat  ringent,  obscurely  spurred  at  the 
base  ;  sepals  and  petals  nearly  aUke,  the  upper  arching  ;  lip  entire  or  den- 
ticulate, broadly  ovate  or  obovate,  abruptly  contracted  at  the  base.  An- 
ther terminal ;  pollen  masses  4.  Pod  at  first  acute  at  the  base,  at  length 
oval. 

A  light-brown  or  purplish  plant,  with  scales  instead  of  leaves,  6  to  16 
inches  high,  with  bulbous,  coral-like  roots,  probably  parasitic.  Flowers 
6  to  10,  on  slender  pedicels,  whitish,  appearing  from  May  to  Jvily. 

Habitat. — In  rich  woods  from  New  York  to  Michigan  and  southward. 

Fart  Used. — The  root — not  official. 

Constituents.  — Unknown. 

PreiDarations. — Commonly  employed  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties. — Coral-root  is  said  to  be  a  prompt  and  efficient 
diaphoretic. 

CYPRIPEDIUM.— Lady's  Slipper. 

Cypripedium  pubescens  Willdenow.— Fe?/o2o  Ladi/s  Slipper. 

Description. — Calyx :  sepals  elongated-lanceolate,  spreading,  wavy, 
brownish,  2  of  them  united  into  one  piece  below  the  lip.  Corolla  :  lateral 
petals  elongated-lanceolate,  brownish  or  yellowish-gi*een,  wavy  or  more  com- 
monly twisted  ;  lip  slipper-  or  moccasin-shaped,  much  inflated,  1  to  2  inches 
long,  yellow  without,  spotted  within  with  brown.  Column  declined,  with 
a  fertile  stamen  on  each  side  ;  on  the  ujDper  side  is  an  abortive  stamen  in 


PLATE    VIII. 


I .  .lohuson,  Del. 


CYPRIPEDIUM    PUBESCENS. 


PLATE  VIII Cypripedium  pubescens. 

Fig.  1. — Flowering  plant — natural  size. 
Fig.  2.— Side  view  of  the  column  and  style. 
Fig.  3.  — Front  view  of  the  abortive  stamen. 


ALETRIS STAR-GRASS.  269 

the  shape  of  a  triangular,  greenish-yellow,  spotted  body,  corresponding 
■with  the  fertile  stamen  of  other  orchids,  and  covering  the  summit  of  the 
style  ;  stigma  terminal,  broad,  obscurely  3-lobed,  moist,  not  viscid. 

A  perennial,  1  to  2  feet  high,  with  a  horizontal  rhizome,  tufted 
fibi'ous  rootlets,  and  strongly  ribbed,  slightly  pu.bescent  leaves  ;  stem  also 
pubescent,  1-  to  2-flowered. 

Another  species,  G.  parmfiorum,  Salisbury,  is  very  similar,  if  not  iden- 
tical with  this  ;  at  least  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  distinguish  one  from 
the  other. 

Habitat.  — In  bogs,  swamps,  and  low  woods  ;  sometimes  in  mountain 
woods.  Widely  distributed,  and,  in  some  regions,  common.  The  vary- 
ing conditions  under  which  it  will  flourish  are  rather  remarkable.  The 
author,  while  seeking  plants  to  illustrate  this  work,  found  it  in  a  dry  situ- 
ation on  the  Orange  Mountains,  N.  J.,  and  again  in  Western  New  York, 
in  a  deep,  and  almost  impassible  swamp,  where  it  grew  ujDon  moss-covered 
logs,  surrounded  by  water. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets  of  C.  pubescens  and  C.  parvi- 
florum —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — A  minute  quantity  of  volatile  oil,  volatile  acid,  resin, 
and  common  vegetable  principles. 

Preparations. — Extractum  cypripedii  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  Cy- 
pripedium. —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Cypripedium  is  a  mild  nervous  stimu- 
lant and  anti-spasmodic,  acting  somewhat  like  valerian,  but  less  efficiently. 
Its  use  is  almost  entirely  restricted  to  hysterical  affections,  though  it  is 
said  to  have  been  employed  successfully  in  epilepsy,  neuralgia,  and  other 
nervous  diseases. 

H/EMODORACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Perennial  herbs  with  fibrous  roots,  ensiform, 
equitant  leaves,  and  bearing  woolly  hairs  or  scurf  on  their  stems  and  flow- 
ers. Perianth  6-cleft  at  the  summit,  cohering  with  the  whole  surface,  or 
with  the  base  only  of  the  ovary.  Stamens  3  to  6,  inserted  at  the  base  of 
the  lobes  of  the  perianth.  Ovary  3-celled  ;  style  single,  often  3-cleft. 
Pod  crowned  or  enclosed  by  the  persistent  perianth,  3-celled,  8-  to  many- 
seeded. 

A  small  order  of  mainly  unimportant  plants. 


ALETRIS.  — Star-Gk  ASS. 

Aletris  farinosa  Linne. — Star-Grass,  Golic-Root. 

Description. — Perianth  oblong-tubular,  6-cleft,  not  woolly,  but  vrrinkled 
and  roughened,  cohering  with  the  base  of  the  ovary,  white.     Stamens  6. 


270  lEIDACE^. 

Style  awl-shaped,  3-cleft.  Pod  ovate,  enclosed  in  the  persistent  perianth  ; 
seeds  numerous. 

A  perennial  herb  with  a  horizontal  rhizome  and  fibrous  rootlets. 
Leaves  all  radical,  in  a  cluster,  thin.  Hat,  lanceolate.  Flowers  small,  in  a 
wandlike  raceme  terminating  a  naked  scape,  2  to  3  feet  high.  It  blooms 
in  July  and  August, 

Habitat. — In  sandy  and  grassy  woods  ;  widely  distributed. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — formerly  official. 

Constituents. — Star-grass  contains  a  bitter  principle,  not  yet  isolated, 
starch,  and  other  common  vegetable  constituents. 

PrejMrations. — Commonly  used  in  infusion  or  decoction.  The  bitter 
principle,  however,  seems  to  be  more  soluble  in  alcohol  than  in  water,  and 
hence  a  tincture  would  undoubtedly  be  more  efficient.  It  has  also  been 
employed  in  powder. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Star-grass  probably  possesses  no  me- 
dicinal properties  other  than  those  of  simple  bitters  generally,  though 
others  have  been  ascribed  to  it ;  and  as  remedies  of  this  class  produce 
different  effects,  depending  largely  upon  the  manner  of  administration,  so 
this  may  be  employed  as  a  tonic,  diaphoretic,  emetic,  etc. 

IRIDACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs  with  corms,  rhizomes,  or  fibrous  roots, 
equitant,  2-ranked  leaves,  and  flowers  from  a  sheath  of  2  or  more  leaves  or 
bracts.  Perianth  6-parted,  in  2  rows,  sometimes  irregular,  the  tube  cohe- 
rent with  the  3-celled  ovary,  and  3  distinct  or  monadelphous  stamens,  alter- 
nate with  the  inner  divisions  of  the  perianth  and  ojDposite  the  stigmas. 
Pod  3-celled,  many  seeded. 

A  large  order  in  tropical  regions,  but  represented  in  North  America 
by  few  sj)ecies.     They  are  generally  characterized  by  acrid  properties. 

IRIS. 

Iris  versicolor  Linne. — Blue  Flag. 

Description. — Perianth  deeply  6-parted,  the  3  outer  divisions  reflexed, 
the  3  inner  smaller,  erect ;  the  tube  prolonged  beyond  the  ovary,  but 
shorter  than  the  lobes.  Stamens  distinct,  covered  by  the  petaloid  stigmas. 
Ovary  and  pod  obtusely  triangular. 

An  herbaceous  pere-niial  with  a  tortuous,  thickened  root-stock.  Stem 
stout,  1  to  3  feet  high,  angled  on  one  side,  branching,  leafy.  Leaves  ensi- 
form,  three-fourths  inch  wide,  6  to  8  inches  long.  Flowers  large  and 
showy,  2i  to  3  inches  long,  violet-blue  variegated  with  greenish,  yellow, 
and  white,  with  purple  veins,  appearing  in  May  and  June. 

Habitat. — In  marshes  and  wet  places  ;  one  of  the  commonest  and  most 
beautiful  of  wild  flowers. 


IRIS.  271 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets.  Official  name  :  Iris — United 
States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — Besides  common  vegetable  principles  iris  contains  an 
acrid  resin,  upon  which  its  medicinal  activity  depends. 


Fig.  158. — Iris  versicolor. 

Preparations. — Extractum  iridis — extract  of  iris ;  extractum  iridis  flui- 
dum — fluid  extract  of  iris. —  United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  A  saturated 
tiiiiture  made  from  the  fresh  rhizome  is  an  excellent  preparation. 

Iledical  Properties  and  Uses. — Iris,  in  full  doses,  is  an  active  emeto- 
cathartic,  operating  with  violence,  and  producing  considerable  prostration. 
Its  effects  upon  the  liver  appear  to  be  analogous  to  those  of  podophyllum. 
In  sick  headache  dependent  upon  indigestion,  small  doses,  frequently  re- 
peated, often  act  most  happily.     It  has  been  largely  used  by  eclectic  prac- 


272  LILIACEiE. 

titioners,  and  is  liighly  esteemed  by  them  as  a  liydragogue  cathartic,  an 
alterative,  sialagogue,  vermifuge,  and  diuretic. 

LILIACE/E. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Herbs,  rarely  woody  plants,  with  bulbs,  corms, 
rhizomes,  or  fibrous  roots,  simple,  sheathing  or  clasping  leaves,  and  regu- 
lar flowers.  Perianth  colored,  of  6  divisions  or  6-cleft ;  stamens  6  ;  ovary 
3-celled  ;  style  single  ;  stigma  simple  or  3-lobed.  Fruit  3-celled,  capsular 
or  succulent. 

A  very  large  order  in  temperate  and  tropical  regions.  Many  of  them 
are  actively  emetic,  cathartic,  etc.,  while  others,  as  the  onion  and  garhc, 
are  edible. 

TRILLIUM. —Three-leaved  Nightshade. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Divisions  of  the  perianth  in  2  series,  the 
outer  3  (sepals)  lanceolate,  spreading,  often  fohaceous,  persistent ;  the 
inner  3  (petals)  larger,  colored,  withering.  Anthers  on  short  filaments,  ad- 
nate.  Styles  or  sessile  stigmas  3,  separate  down  to  the  ovary,  persistent. 
Ovary  3-  to  6-angled.     Fruit  an  ovate,  3-celled,  many-seeded  berry. 

Perennial  herbs  with  a  simple  stem  rising  from  a  short  thick  rhizome, 
and  bearing  a  whorl  of  3  leaves  and  a  single  terminal  flower. 

Trillium  e rectum  Linne. — Bethroot,  Birthroot,  Wake-Robin. 

Description. — Flower  on  a  slender,  erect  or  inclined  peduncle,  1  to  3 
inches  long.  Petals  ovate,  acutish,  dark  purple,  spreading,  withering,  a 
httle  longer  than  the  sepals.  Leaves  dilated-rhomboidal,  about  as  broad 
as  long.     It  blooms  in  May. 

A  variety  of  this  species  {var.  album  Pursh — T.  pendulum  Alton)  has 
the  petals  greenish-white  or  yellowish. 

Habitat. — In  rich  woods  ;  common.  The  variety  is  found  in  similar 
locations. 

Trillium  grand  if  lo  rum  Salisbury.— Large  White  Wake-Robin. 

Description. — Flower  on  a  slender  erect  or  inclined  peduncle,  2  to  3 
inches  long.  Petals  obovate,  spreading,  2  to  2^  inches  long,  much  longer 
than  the  sepals,  white,  changing  to  rose-color  and  finally  withering. 
Leaves  rhomboid- obovate,  longer  than  broad.     It  blooms  in  June. 

Habitat.— la  rich  woods  from  Vermont  to  Kentucky,  Wisconsin  and 
northward. 

The  above  described  species  of  trillium  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  ge- 
nus. There  is  probably  little  difference  in  the  activity  of  any  indigenous 
species,  and  all  are  collected  indiscriminately. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — not  official. 

Constituents. — In  addition  to  common  vegetable  constituents,  as  starch, 


VERATRUM FALSE    HELLEBORE. 


273 


tannin,  etc.,  trillium  contains  a  peculiar  acrid  principle  which  requires 
fui'ther  investigation. 

Preparations. — Used  in  powder  and  in  infusion. 

Medical  Projjeriies  and  Uses. — Trillium  is  said  to  be  astringent,  tonic, 
and  alterative.  From  its  supposed  action  upon  the  uterus  it  derived  the 
name  birth-root.  It  has  been  employed  to  check  hemorrhages,  as  epis- 
taxis,  haemoptysis,  and  menorrhagia,  and  as  an  astringent  and  stimulating 
application  to  ulcers,  etc.     It  is  little  used  except  by  eclectic  practitioners. 

VERATRUM.— False  Hellebore. 
Veratrum  viride  Alton. — American  Hellebore. 


,/ 


Fig.  159. — Veratnim  viride. 


,  Description. — Flowers  monceciously  polygamous.     Perianth  of  6,  sepa- 
rate, spreading,  yellowish-green,  persistent  sepals.    Stamens  free  from,  and 


274  LILIACE^. 

shorter  than  the  sepals,  recurved.  Ovary  3 -celled,  free  from  the  jDerianth  ; 
styles  3,  diverging.  Pod  3-lobed,  of  3  membranaceous  carpels,  united  in 
the  axis,  but  separating  when  mature,  several-seeded. 

A  stout  herbaceous  perennial,  2  to  4  feet  high.  Stems  simple,  from  a 
thickened  rootstock,  beset  with  numerous  strong,  fibrous  rootlets.  Leaves 
broadly  oval,  pointed,  sheathing  at  the  base,  strongly  plaited,  the  lower 
large,  the  upper  very  much  reduced.  Flowers  in  dense  spike-like  racemes 
arranged  in  a  large,  leafy  panicle,  appearing  in  June  and  July. 

Habitat. — In  swamps  and  low  grounds  ;  everywhere  common,  often  as- 
sociated with  skunk-cabbage. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets  ;  official  name,  Veratrum  viride 
—  United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Constituents. — The  active  principles  of  veratrum  viride  appear  to  be  of 
a  rather  complex  character.  In  1865  two  alkaloids  were  discovered  in  the 
drug,  which  received  the  names  viridia  and  veratroidia.  The  first-named 
was  afterward  shown  to  be  impure  jervia,  while  veratroidia,  uj)on  inves- 
tigation, yielded  a  number  of  proximate  principles.  None  of  these  princi- 
ples, however,  have  been  separated  in  commercial  quantities.  At  most 
only  a  trace  of  veratrina  (veratrine)  has  been  discovered  in  veratrum  viride, 
this  alkaloid  being  procured  for  medicinal  purjDoses  from  the  seed  of 
Asagnva  officinalis  Lindley  {Veratrum  sabadilla  Schlecht). 

Preparations. — Extractum  veratri  viridis  fluidum — fluid  extract  of  vera- 
trum viride  ;  tinctura  veratri  viridis — tincture  of  veratrum  viride. —  United 
States  Fharmacopceia. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Veratrum  viride  is  a  powerful  irritant 
whether  employed  externally  or  internally.  The  powdered  drug,  when 
snufiied  up  the  nostrils,  even  in  minute  quantities,  causes  violent  sneezing  ; 
moistened  and  applied  to  the  cutaneous  surface,  it  produces  redness  and 
burning.  Taken  internally,  it  reduces  the  fulness  and  frequency  of  the 
pulse,  and,  if  the  dose  be  large,  or  long- continued,  excites  nausea,  vomiting, 
and  purging  and  causes  great  prostration.  It  is  used  chiefly  in  inflamma- 
tory affections  of  a  decidedly  sthenic  tyjDC,  particularly  those  of  the  respira- 
tory organs.  Many  practitioners  rely  upon  it  almost  to  the  entire  exclusion. 
of  other  agents  in  the  early  stage  of  pneumonia,  claiming  that,  by  control- 
ling the  heart's  action,  it  limits  the  inflammatory  process.  Its  action  is, 
however,  rather  difficult  to  gauge  properly,  for  at  the  very  moment  of  pro- 
ducing its  hajDpiest  effects  upon  the  heart,  distressing  nausea  and  vomiting 
may  occur  and  reduce  the  patient  to  a  dangerous  degree.  It  is  plainly  con- 
tra-indicated in  cardiac  debility  and  in  all  asthenic  conditions  of  whatever 
nature. 

CHAM^LIRIUM.— Devil's  Bit. 

Chamaelirium  luteum  Gray  {Helonias  lutea  Aiton). — Blazing-Star^ 
Devil's  Bit,  Starwort 

Description. — Flowers  dioecious.     Perianth  of   6,   separate,   spatulate- 


POLYGOXATUM SOLOMON  S  SEAL.  270 

linear,  si^reading,  white,  witlieriug-persistent  sejoals.  Stamens  longer  than 
the  sepals  ;  anthers  yellow.  Pistillate  flowers  with  rudimentary  stamens  ; 
styles  3,  revolute.  Pod  ovoid-oblong,  membranaceous,  3-valved,  many- 
seeded. 

An  herbaceous  perennial.  Stem  simple,  wand-like,  1|  to  2  feet  high, 
from  a  short,  thick  rootstock  with  numerous  fibrous  rootlets.  Leaves  flat, 
lanceolate,  the  lowest  spatulate,  tapering  into  a  petiole.  Flowers  in  a  ter- 
minal spicate  raceme,  4  to  9  inches  long,  appearing  in  June. 

Habitat. — Li  low  grounds  from  New  England  to  Illinois  and  southward. 

Farts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — not  official. 

GoiidUuents. — A  bitter  neutral  principle,  termed  cliamoelirin,  and  com- 
mon vegetable  constituents. 

■  Pi'eparations. — Commonly  used  in  infusion  or  tincture.  An  impure 
resinous  substance,  termed  helonin,  is  considerably  employed  by  eclectics. 
It  is  prepared  by  precipitation  from  the  alcohohc  tincture. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Blazing-star  is  said  to  be  tonic  and  an- 
thelmintic ;  it  is  probably  little  more  than  a  simple  bitter. 

CONVALLARIA.— Lily  of  the  Valley. 

Convallaria  majalis  Linne. — Lily  of  the  Valley. 

Description. — Perianth  bell-shaped,  6-lobed,  white,  deciduous.  Stamens 
6,  shorter  than  the  perianth  and  inserted  on  its  base.  Ovary  3-celled  ; 
style  simple,  stout  ;  stigma  triangular.     Fruit  a  red,  few-seeded  berry. 

A  low,  stemless  perennial,  with  slender,  running  rootstocks,  and  fibrous 
rootlets.  Leaves  two,  oblong,  their  long  petioles  rolled  one  within  the 
other.  Scape  somewhat  angular,  having  a  one-sided  raceme  of  beautifvil, 
fragi'ant  flowers,  which  appear  in  May. 

Habitat. — On  high  mountains  from  Virginia  southward  ;  specifically 
identical  with  the  common  flower  of  gardens  of  the  same  name  which  was 
introduced  from  Europe. 

Parts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — not  ofiicial. 

Constituents. — Two  glucosides,  termed  conmllarin  and  convallamarin, 
besides  the  common  constituents  of  plants. 

Preparations. — It  is  commonly  employed  in  the  form  of  fluid  extract. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Convallaria  has  been  recently  reintro- 
duced as  a  remedy,  and  is  being  considerably  experimented  with  as  a 
cardiac  tonic.  In  action  it  somewhat  resembles  digitaUs.  Its  sphere  of 
usefulness  is  not,  as  yet,  accurately  defined. 

POLYGONATUM.— Solomon's  Seal. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — Perianth  cylindrical,  6-lobed  at  the  margin. 
Stamens  6,  inserted  about  the  middle  of  the  tube  of  the  perianth,  included. 
Ovaiy  3-celled,  each  cell  2-  to  6-ovuled  ;  style  slender,  jointed  ;  stigma  ob- 
■'rjuve^y  3-lobed.      Fruit  a  globular,  black  or  blue,  3-  to  6-seeded  berry. 


276  LILIACE^. 

Herbaceous  jDerennials,  witli  thick,  knotted  rootstocks.  Stems  leafless  be- 
low, leafy  above,  and  bearing  small  axillary  flowers,  which  appear  in  early 
summer. 

Polygonatum  biflorum  Elliott. — Smaller  Solomon's  Seal 

Description. — Flowers  greenish,  one-half  inch  long,  on  1-  to  3-,  com- 
monly 2-flowered  pedimcles,  nodding.  Stem  glabrous,  1  to  3  feet  high,  re- 
curved. Leaves  alternate,  ovate-oblong,  or  lance-oblong,  nearly  sessile, 
commonly  minutely  pubescent  above,  glaucous  beneath. 

Habitat. — In  rich  woods  ;  common. 

Polygonatum  giganteum  Dietrich. — Great  Solomon's  Seal 

Description. — Flowers  like  the  preceding  but  larger  and  on  2-  to  8- 
flowered  peduncles.  Entire  plant  glabrous.  Stem  stout,  2  to  8  feet  high, 
recurved.  Leaves  ovate,  somewhat  clasping,  5  to  8  inches  long,  the  uj^jDer 
oblong,  nearly  sessile. 

Habitat. — Li  rich  alluvial  soil. 

farts  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlet  of  both  species — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Commonly  used  in  decoction  or  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Solomon's  seal  has  a  sweetish,  mucilagi- 
nous taste,  followed  by  a  faint  sense  of  bitterness,  and  apj)ears  to  owe  what 
little  virtue  it  possesses  to  its  mucilage.  In  decoction  it  is  employed  as  a 
domestic  remedy  to  allay  irritation  of  mucous  surfaces,  and  in  rhus  poison- 
ing, where  it  acts  by  protecting  the  inflamed  j^arts  from  the  air  in  the  same 
manner  as  other  agents  of  like  character. 

The  rhizomes  of  several  indigenoiis  species  of  Smilacina,  a  closely  alhed 
genus,  possess  similar  properties  and  are  used  for  the  same  jDurposes. 

ERYTHRONIUM.— Dog's  Tooth  Violet. 

Erythronium  Americanum  Smith. — Adders  Tongue,  Dog's  Tooth 
Violet. 

Description. — Perianth  of  6  distinct,  petaloid  sepals,  in  2  series,  re- 
curved or  spreading  above,  deciduous  ;  the  outer  series  greenish-yellow 
without,  yellow  witliin,  inner  series  all  yellow.  Stamens  6,  awl-shaped. 
Style  club-shaped  ;  stigmas  united  into  one.  Pod  3-valved,  many-seeded. 
A  low  stemless  perennial,  sending  up  in  early  sjoring,  from  a  deei^ly  buried 
corm,  a  pair  of  clasping  elliptical-lanceolate,  pale  green  leaves,  commonly 
mottled  with  purplish,  and  a  smooth  scape  bearing  a  single  nodding  flower. 

Habitat. — In  damp  places  in  woods  ;  common. 

Part  Used. — The  corm — not  official. 

Constituents.  — Unknown. 

Preparations. — It  has  been  employed  in  powder  and  in  infusion. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Dog's  tooth  violet  in  full  doses  acts  as 
an  emetic,  but  its  irritant  properties  are  lost  in  drying,  so  that  it  becomes 
bland  and  even  edible.     It  has  never  been  much  used. 


ADIANTUM MAIDENHAIR.  277 


CRYPTOGAMOUS  OR  FLOWERLESS   PLANTS. 

Plants  wliicb  produce  directly  without  the  intervention  of  flowers,  in- 
stead of  seeds,  minute  bodies  of  homogeneous  structure,  termed  spoi-es, 
which  do  not  contain  an  embryo  or  plantlet  previous  to  germination. 

Cryptogams  are  divided  into  two  great  classes,  Thallogens  and  Acro- 
GENS,  the  latter  comprising  those  having  a  distinct  axis,  that  is,  a  stem  or 
stem  and  branches,  growing  from  the  apex  only,  containing  woody  fibre 
and  vessels,  and  commonly  with  some  sort  of  foliage.  To  this  class  be- 
long the  few  cryptogams  described  in  this  work. 

FILICES— FERNS. 

Character  of  the  Order. — Plants  with  leaves,  called  fronds,  all  radical, 
on  stalks,  called  stipes,  rising  from  a  root  or  roostock,  circiuate  in  the  bud, 
and  bearing  the  fruit  variously  arranged  in  1 -celled  spore-cases  on  their 
under  surface.  The  North  American  species  are  all  herbaceous  pex'ennials. 
Few  of  them  are  medicinally  important. 

POLYPODIUM— Polypody. 

Polypodium  vulgare  Linne. — Common  Polypody. 

Description, — Fruit-dots  round,  comparatively  large,  naked,  placed 
half-way  between  the  midrib  and  margin,  commonly  in  a  row,  but  some- 
times scattered.  Eoot-stock  creeping,  branched,  often  forming  a  tangled 
mass,  covered  with  brownish  chaffy  scales.  Fronds  evergreen,  oblong  or 
lanceolate  in  general  outline,  smooth  both  sides,  4  to  10  inches  high,  sim- 
ply and  deeply  pinnatifid  ;  the  lobes  linear-oblong,  obtuse,  entire  or  ob- 
scui-ely  toothed. 

Habitat. — On  rocks  and  fallen  trees  ;  common  both  here  and  in  Europe. 

Parta  Used. — The  rhizome  and  rootlets — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Commonly  used  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Common  polypody  has  a  sweetish,  some- 
what nauseous  taste.  In  the  recent  state,  large  doses  produce  mild  pur- 
gation. Highly  esteemed  by  the  ancients,  it  has  fallen  into  entire  disuse. 
Owing  to  the  ease  with  which  it  may  be  administered  in  milk,  it  has  been 
recently  recommended  as  a  purgative  for  young  children. 

ADIAXTUM.  — Maidenhair. 

Adiantum    pedatum  Linne. — Maidenhair. 

Description. — Fruit-dots  marginal,  short,  slightly  crescentic,  covered 
by  an  indusium  formed  of  the  reflected  border  of  the  lobe.     Fronds  erect 


278  FILICES FERNS. 

on  dark-pvirple  or  black  polished  stipes,  6  to  15  inches  high  ;  these  fork  at 
the  summit,  and  each  branch  gives  off  on  its  upper  side  simple  branches  3 
to  9  inches  long,  which  are  thickly  and  regularly  clothed  with  alternate,  tri- 
angular or  rhomboidal  short-stalked  pinnae  ;  these  are  entire  and  vein-bear- 
ing on  their  lower  margin,  while  their  upper  border  is  lobed,  and  fruit- 
bearing.     The  plant  as  a  whole  is  extremely  delicate  and  beautiful. 

Habitat.— hi  rich  moist  woods  ;  common. 

Part  Used. — The  leaves — not  official. 

Constit  uents.  — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Used  in  decoction  and  syrup. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Maidenhair  has  a  bitterish,  aromatic 
taste,  and  has  been  esteemed  demulcent  and  pectoral.  An  allied  speciesi 
A.  Cajnllus- Veneris,  indigenous  to  Europe,  and  also  found  in  Florida,  was 
formerly  much  used  in  chronic  catari-hal  affections. 

PTERIS.— Brake. 

Pterls  aquilina  Linne. — Common  Brake. 

Description. — Fruit  in  a  continuous  line  along  the  margin  of  the  fertile 
frond,  and  covered  by  its  reflexed  border.  Fronds  erect,  on  a  stout  stipe 
2  to  3  feet  high,  ternate,  the  wide-spreading  branches  bipinnate  ;  pinnee 
oblong-lanceolate,  the  upper  undivided,  the  lower  often  deeply  j)innatifid. 

Habitat. — In  dry  situations  along  the  border  of  woods  ;  common. 

Part  Used. — The  entire  plant — not  official. 

Constituents. — Unknown. 

Preparations. — Used  in  decoction  or  infusion. 

Medical  Propjerties  and  Uses. — Brake  is  rejouted  astringent  and  anthel- 
mintic, but  is  seldom  used.  Another  indigenous  species,  P.  atropurpurea 
{Rock  Brake),  a  much  more  dehcate  plant,  possesses  similar  properties. 

ASPLENIUM. — Spleenwort. 

Asplenium  filix-fcemina  Bernhardt. 

Description. — Fruit-dots  short,  variously  curved,  at  length  confluent ; 
often  the  fertile  vein  bears  two  sj)orangia,  back  to  back,  the  delicate  indu- 
sium  crossing  the  vein  and  covering  both.  Fronds  numerous,  clustered, 
from  an  ascending  scaly  rootstock ;  they  are  1  to  3  feet  high,  ovate-oblong 
or  broadly  lanceolate,  bipinnate  ;  pinnse  lanceolate  ;  pinnules  confluent 
upon  the  secondary  rachis  by  a  narrow  margin,  oblong  and  doubly  serrate 
or  elongate  and  incisely  cut-toothed.     A  variable  and  beautiful  species. 

Habitat. — In  moist  shady  places  ;  common. 

Part    Used. — The  rhizome — not  official. 

It  is  supposed  to  possess  properties,  similar  to  those  of  male  fern  {As-- 
pidium  filix-mas),  which  see. 

Several  other  indigenous  species  of  asplenium,  of  widely  different  ap- 
pearance, are  sujDposed  to  possess  medicinal  i^roperties. 


ASPIDIUM SHIELD-FERN. 


279 


SCOLOPENDRIUM.  —Hart's  -Tongue. 

Scolopendrlum  vulgare  Smith. — Harfs-Tonguc 

Description. — Fruit-clots  linear,  one-fourth  to  one-half  inch  long,  con- 
tiguous by  twos,  covered  by  a  delicate  indusium  which  is  torn  away  at 
maturity,  and,  the  two  coalescing,  appear  like  a  single  one.  Frond  oblong- 
lanceolate,  auricled  at  the  base,  wavy  on  the  margins,  6  to  18  inches  long 
by  1  to  2  inches  wide,  smooth  and  shining,  bright  green,  on  stipes  3  to  4 
inches  long. 

Habitat. — In   a  few   shaded   limestone   ravines  near   Syracuse,  N.  Y., 
and  sparingly  in  the   Lake 
Superior   region    of   British 
America ;    very  common    in 
Europe. 

Parts  Used. — The  fronds 
— not  official. 

Constituents.  —  Mucilagi- 
nous and  astringent  princi- 
ples. 

Preparations.  —  Used  in 
decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and 
Uses. — Scolopendrlum  is  one 
of  the  unimportant  remedies 
much  used  by  the  ancients. 
It  is  considered  dim'etic  and 
slightly  astringent. 

ASPIDIUM.  — Shield-Febn. 

Character  of  the  Genus. — 
Fruit-dots  round.  Indusivun 
flat  or  flattish,  scarious,  or- 
bicular and  peltate  at  the  cen- 
tre, or  somewhat  reniform, 
fixed  at  the  centre  or  the  sinus,  and  opening  all  around ;  stipe  withering- 
persistent,  not  articulated  with  the  rootstock. 

Aspidium  Filix-mas  Swartz. — Male  Fern. 

Description. — Fruit-dots  rather  large,  nearer  the  mid-vein  than  the  mar- 
gin, and  usually  confined  to  the  lower  half  of  the  fertile  2:)iunules.  Fronds 
lanceolate,  1  to  3  feet  high,  bipinnate,  the  upper  pinnules  confluent, 
some  of  the  lower  pinuatifid-toothed  ;  pinnules  oblong,  obtuse,  serrate  at 
the  apex.  Stipes  chaffy  at  the  base.  The  rootstock  is  from  3  to  6  inches 
long,  ^  to  1  inch  thick,  or  with  the  stipe-remnants  2  to  3  inches  in  diam- 
eter, densely  covered  with  glossy  brown  chaffy  scales. 


Fig.  160.— Aspidium  Filix-mas. 


280  FILICES — FERNS. 

Habitat. — In  rocky  woods,  from  Lake  Superior  westward  ;  common  in 
Europe. 

Aspidium  marginale  Swartz. — 3Iarginal  Shield-Fern. 

Description. — Fruit-dots  similar  to  the  preceding,  but  placed  close  to 
the  margin  of  the  fertile  pinnules.  Fronds  evergreen,  almost  coriaceous, 
ovate-oblong,  1  to  2  feet  high,  bipinnate,  the  pennae  lanceolate,  broadest 
at  the  base  ;  pinnules  oblong  or  oblong-scythe-shaped,  obtuse,  entire  or 
obscurely  crenately  toothed.  Stipes  chaffy  at  the  base.  Rootstock  similar 
to  the  jDreceding. 

Habitat. — On  rocky  hills  ;  common. 

Part  Used. — The  rhizome  of  both  sj)ecies.  Official  name  :  Aspidium 
—  United  States  Pharmacoj^oeia. 

Constituents. — Proximate  analysis  of  male-fern  has  yielded  different  re- 
sults to  different  chemists.  For  practical  purposes  it  is  sufficient  to  know 
that  its  active  principles  reside  in  an  oleo-resin,  and  that  its  other  consti- 
tuents are  unimportant. 

Preparations. — Oleo-resina  aspidii — oleo-resin  of  aspidium. — United 
States  Pharmacopoeia. 

Medical  Propjerties  and  Uses. — Oleo-resin  of  male-fern  is  one  of  the 
best  known  remedies  for  tapeworm,  and  also  one  of  the  most  efficient. 
Doubtless  ranch  of  the  disappointment  experienced  with  it  is  attributable 
to  inefficient  preparations.  Siuce,  however,  it  has  been  demonstrated 
that  A.  marginale  is  quite  as  efficient,  and,  as  this  species  is  very  abun- 
dant, there  is  now  no  good  reason  why  reliable  jDreparations  should  not 
be  the  rule  rather  than,  as  heretofore,  the  excej^tion. 

OSMUNDA.— Flowering  Fern. 

Osmunda  regalis  Linne. — Floivering  Fern. 

Descripjtion. — Sporangia  naked,  globular,  short-pedicelled,  densely  ag- 
gregated along  the  margins  of  the  very  much  contracted  upper  pinnules  of 
the  frond,  the  whole  appearing  to  the  casual  observer  like  amass  of  minute, 
tawny  flowers.  Fronds  2  to  5  feet  high,  clustered,  very  smooth,  pale  green, 
bipinnate  ;  sterile  pinnules,  13  to  25,  oblong-oval,  or  lance-oblong,  mi- 
nutely serrulate,  occasionally  crenately-lobed  at  the  base. 

Habitat. — In  swamps  and  wet  places ;  common  both  here  and  in 
Europe. 

Part  Used. — The  rhizome — not  official. 

Constituents. — Mucilaginous  and  astringent  princii^les. 

Preparations. — Used  in  decoction. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Flowering  fern  was  at  one  time  consid- 
ered efficacious  in  rachitis,  but  it  is  now  believed  to  be  nearly  inert,  and 
is  rarely  if  ever  employed  medicinally. 


Plate  IX.— Aspidium  marginale. 

Fig.  1. — A  small  frond,  showing  the  tipper  side. 

Fig.  2. — A  similar  one,  under  side,  showing  the  fruit-dots. 

Fig.  3. — A  fruit-dot  (spoi'angium) — enlarged. 


LYCOPODIUM CLUB-MOSS.  283 


LYCOPODIACE/E. 


Character  of  the  Order. — Plants  of  a  moss-like  aspect  having  spore- 
cases  in  the  axils  of  their  simple,  commonly  awl-shaped  leaves. 
A  small  order  of  comparatively  unimportant  plants, 

LYCOPODIUM. —Club-Moss. 

Lycopodium  clavatum  Linne. — Common  Club-Moss. 

Description. — Spore-cases  reniform,  coriaceous,  1-celled,  2-valved,  in 
spikes  at  the  summit  of  the  branches. 

A  low  perennial.  Stem  creeping  extensively,  vdth  numerous  short  as- 
cending branches ;  these  are  thickly  beset  with  linear-awl-shaped  leaves 
tipped  with  a  bristle.  The  fertile  branches  are  terminated  by  a  short 
peduncle  bearing  2  or  3  linear-cylindrical  fruiting  spikes. 

Habitat. — In  dry  woods  ;  common  both  here  and  in  Europe. 

Part  Used.— The  sporules.  Official  name  :  Lycopodium. —  United  States 
Fharmacopceia. 

Constituents. — Lycopodium  is  a  fine,  pale-yellowish,  inflammable  powder, 
without  odor  or  taste.  It  contains  fixed  oil  and  a  minute  proportion  of 
sugar. 

Medical  Properties  and  Uses. — Lycopodium  is  used  as  a  dusting  powder 
for  irritated  and  excoriated  surfaces,  and  by  apothecaries  to  prevent  newly- 
made  pUls  from  adhering  together. 


INDEX. 


The  names  of  Orders  and  Sub-orders  are  in  Small  Capitals;  Latin  synonyms 
in  Italics  ;  genus,  species,  and  common  names,  in  Roman. 


Abies,  257 

Balsamea,  258 

Canadensis,  258 

Fraseri,  258 
Abtetine.e,  255 
Achillea  Millefolium,  181 
Acorus  Calamus,  264 
Actaia,  69 

alba,  70 

racemosa,  68 

spicata.  var.   rubra,  69 
Adder's  tongue,  276 
Adiantum  pedatum,  277 
.dilsculua,   126 

glabra,  127 

Hippocastanum,  126 

Pavia,  127 
Agrimonia  Eupatoria,  139 
Agrimony,  139 
Alder,  253 
Aletris  farinosa,  209 

Alisina  plantago — var.  Americanum,  265 
Aijs.mace.e,  265 
Alnus  serrulata,  253 
Althaea  officinalis,  105 
Alum-root,  144 
Ambrosia,  178 

art-misifefolia,  178 

trifida,  178 
American  centaury,  221 

columbo,  221 

hellebore.  273 

hemp,  245 

holly,  198 

larch,  259 

senna,  134 
Amtgdale^,  135 
Anacardiace.e,  117 
Andromeda  arbnrea,  194 

Mariana,  193 
Anemone,  59 

patens,  var.  Nuttalliana,  59 
Angelica,  153 
Angelica- tree.   156 
Anthemis  nobilis,  181 


Apetalous  Exogenous  Plants,  233 
Aphyllon  unifiorum,  203 
Apocynace.e,  228 
Apocynum,  228 

androsEemifolium,  239 

cannabinum,  229 
Aquipoliace^,  197 
Arace^e,  263 
Aralia,  156 

nudicaulis,  156 

quinquefolia,  156 

racemosa,  156 

spinosa,  156 
Araliace^.  155 
Arbor-vitaj,  260 

Archangelica  atropurpurea,  153 
Arctostaphylos  uvn-ursi.  191 
ArisEemi  triphyllum,  263 
Aristolochia  Serpentaria,  233 
Aristolochiace^e,  232 
Arrow-wood,  163 
Artemisia  Absinthium,  183 
Asarum  Canadense,  233 
A8Clepiadace^,  329 
Asclepias,  2:>() 

cornuti.  280 

incur nata,  230 

Syriaca,  230 

tuberosa,  230 
Aspen,  254 
Aspidium,  279 

Filix-mas,  279 

marginale.  280 
Asplenium  Filixfoemina,  278 
Avens,  140 

Balm  of  Gilead,  255 
Balmony.  205 
Balsam  fir,  258 
poplar,  255 
Baneberry,  69 
Baptisia  tinctoria,  133 
Barberrj',  76 
Bayberry,  250 
Bearberry,  191 


2S6 


INDEX. 


Beaver-tree,  73 
Bedstraw,  167 
Beech-drops,  203 
Berberidace^,  76 
Berberis,  76 

Aqui folium,  77 

Canadensis,  77 

vulgaris,  77 
Bethroot.  272 
Betula  lenta.  252 
Betulace/K,  252 
Bignonia  capreolata,  201 

BlGNONIACE^E,  201 

Birch,  252 
Birthroot.  272 
Birthwort,  233 
Bistort,  236 
Bitter  Polygala,  129 
Bittersweet,  216 
Black  alder,  253 
Blackberry,  141 
Black  birch,  253 

cohosh,  68 

haw,  164 

mustard,  95 

raspberry,  142 

snakercot.  68,  150 
Blazing-star,  274 
Bloodroot,  )S6 
Blue  cohosh,  78 

flag,  270 

gentian,  223 
Blueberry  Root,  79 
Boneset,  172 
Bouncing  Bet,  103 
Brake,  278 
Bramble,  141 
Brassica,  95 

alba,  95 

nigra,  95 
Broom-rape,  203 
Buckbean,  223 
Buckeye,  126 
Buckthorn,  122 
Bugbane,  68 
Bugle-weed,  209 
Burdock.  185 
Burning-bush,  125 
Bush-honeysuckle,  162 
Buttercup,  61 
Butterfly-weed,  230 
Butternut,  248 
Butter-weed,  175 
Button-bush,  168 
Button  snake-root,  150,  170 

Calamus,  264 
Calico-bLish,  194 
California  buckthorn,  123 
Canada  fleabane,  175 
Canadian  moonseed,  75 
Cancer-root,  202,  203 
Cannabis  Americana,  245 

sativa,  245 
Caprifoliace^,  161 


Capsella  Bursa-pastoris,  96 

Cardinal  flower,  189 

Carrot,  151 

Caryophyllace^,  103 

Cassena,  198 

Cassia  Marilandica,  134 

Castanea  vesca,  250 

Catalpa  bignoionides,  201 

Catchfly,  104 

Catgut,  133 

Catmint,  213 

Catnip,  213 

Caulopbyllum  thalictroides,  78 

Ceanothus  Americanus,  123 

Cedar,  260 

Celandine,  88 

Celastrace^,  124 

Celastrus  scandeus,  124 

Centaury.  221 

Cephalanthus  occidentalis,  168 

Cerasus  serotma,  135 

Virginiann,  135 
Chama^lirium  luteum,  274 
Chamomile,  181 
Checkerberry,  192 
Chelidonium  majus,  88 
Chelone  glabra,  205 
Cheisipodiace^.  235 
Chenopodium,  235 

album,  235 

ambrosioides,  235 

var.  anthelminticum,  235 
Cherry,  135 
Chestnut,  250 
Chicory,  186 
Chimaphila  maculata,  197 

umbellata.  197 
Choke-cherry,  136 
Cichorium  Intybus,  186 
Cicuta  muculata,  153 
Cimicifuga  racemosa,  68 
Cinque-foil,  140 
ClSTACE^,  99 

Cleavers.  167 
Clematis,  58 

Viorna,  58 

Virginiana,  58 
Club-moss,  283 
Cochlenria  Ai'moracia,  93 
Colic-root,  170,  269 
CoUinsonia  Canadensis,  211 
Coltsfoot,  173 

COMPOSITyE,   169 

Comptonia  asplenifolia,  251 
CONIFEK.E,  255 
Conium  maculatum,  154 
Coaopholis  Americana,  203 
Convallaria  majalis,  275 
CONVOLVULACE^,  215 

Coptis.  64 

trifolia,  64 
Corallorhiza  odontorhiza,  266 
Coral-root,  266 

CORNACE^,  158 

Cornel,  158 


INDEX. 


287 


Cornus,  158 

circinata,  158 

Florida,  158 

sericea,  158 
Co7'yd(dis  forinosa,  89 
Cotton-plant,  107 
Cow-parsnip,  153 
Cramp-bark,  164 
Cranberry-tree,  164 
Crowfoot,  61 
Crucifer.e,  92 
Cryptoganious  Plants,  377 
Cucumber-tree,  73 
Cul-weed,  183 
Culver's  physic,  206 
Culver's  root,  306 
Cunila  Mariana,  310 
CUPRESSINE.K,  360 
CUPUI>IFER.K,  349 

Curled  dock,  3;]8 
Cypripedium  parviflorum,  269 
Cypripedium  pubescens,  266 

Daisy  fleabane,  174 
Dandelion,  188 
Date  plum,  199 
Datura  Stramonium,  219 
Daucus  Carota,  151 
Deer's- tongue,  170 
Devil's-bit,  170,  374 
Dewberry,  141 
Dicentra  Canadensis,  89 
Dicotyledonous  Plants,  57 
Diervilla,  162 
Diospyros  Virginiana,  199 
Dittany,  210 
Dogbane,  229 
Dog's-tooth  violet,  276 
Dogwood,  158 
Droserace^,  101 
Drosera  rotundifolia,  101 
Dwarf  sumac,  118 

Ebenace.e,  199 

Elder,  163 

Elecampane,  177 

Elm,  243 

Epigasa  repeus,  193 

Epiiobium  angustifolium,  148 

Epiphegus  Virginiana,  202 

Erechthites  hieracifolia,  184 

Ericace^,  190 

Ericine^e,  190 

Erigeron,  174 

annuum,  174 

Canadensis,  175 

heterophy'liim,  174 

Philadelphicura,  174 

purpureum,  174 

strigosuin,  174 
Eryngium  yucc^folium.  150 
Eryngo,  150 

I'jrythronium  Americanum,  276 
EuDnyraus  atropurpureus,  125 
/Eupatoriura,  173 


Eupatorium  perfoliatum,  173 

purpureum,  172 
Euphorbia,  241 

corollata,  341 

Ipecacuanhas,  241 
Eupiiorbiace/e.  340 
Svening  primrose,  149 
Everlasting,  183 
Exogenous  Plants,  57 

False  hellebore,  374 
Ferns,  377 
Fever-bush,  240 
Fever-wort,  163 
Figwort,  205 
FiLiCES,  377 
Fire  pink,  104 
Fire-weed,  184 
Five-finger,  140 
Flax,  1(19 
Fleabane,  174 
Flowering  dogwood,  158 
Flowering  fern,  380 
Flowering  Plants,  57 
Flowerless  Plants,  277 
Frasera  Carolinensis,  221 
Fraxinus  Americana,  231 
Bringed  gentian,  222 
Frost- weed,  lOO 
Fumariack^.,  89 
Fumaria  officinalis,  90 
Fumitory,  90 

Galium,  167 

Aparine,  167 

triflorum,  167 
Garget,  334 

Gaultheria  procumbens,  192 
Gelsemium  sempervirens,  224 
Gentian,  222 
Gentiana,  223 

Andrewsii,  223 

catesba-i,  223 

crinita,  223 

ochroleuca,  323 

puberula,  223 
Gentianace^,  220 
Geraniace/E,  110 
Geranium  maculatura,  110 
Germander,  207 
Geum  rivale,  140 
Gillenia  trifoliata,  138 
Gijl-over-the-ground,  213 
Ginseng,  156 

Gnaphalium  polycephalum,  183 
Goat's  rue,  133 
Golden  ragwort,  184 
Golden  rod,  175 
Golden  seal,  64 
Goldthread,  64 
Goosefoot,  235 
Goose-grass.  167 
Gossypinm  herbaceum,  107 
Gravel-root,  172 
Grindelia,  176 


288 


INDEX. 


Grindelia  robusta,  176 

squarrosa,  176 
Ground  cherry,  217 

hemlock,  263 

ivy,  218 

laurel,  ]93 


h^modorace^,  269 
Hamamelace^,  144 
Hamamelis  Virginica,  145 
Hardback,  187 
Hart's- tongue,  279 
Hawk- weed,  187 
Hedeoma  pulegioides,  211 
Helenium  auturanale,  180 
Helianthemum,  100 

Canadense,  100 

corymbosum,  100 
Helianthus  annuus,  179 
Helonias  lutea,  274 
Hemlock,  258 

spruce,  258 
Hemp,  245 
Henbane,  218 
Hepatica.  01 

acutiloba,  61 

triloba,  61 
Heracleum  lanatum,  152 
Hercules'  club,  156 
Heuciiera  Americana,  144 
Hieracium  veuosum,  187 
High  cranberry,  164 
Hoary  pea,  188 
Hog-weed,  178 
Holly,  198 
Hop,  246 
Hop-tree,  116 
Horehound,  214 
Horse-balm,  211 
Horse-chestnut,  126 
Horse-gentian,  162 
Horse-mint,  212 
Horseradish,  93 
Horse-weed,  175 
Humulus  Lupulus,  246 
Hydrangea,  143 
Hydrangea  arborescens,  143 
Hydrastis  Canadensis,  64 
Hyoscyamus  niger.  218 
Hypericaci^:,  102 
Hypericum  perforatum,  103 

Ilex,  198 

Cassine,  198 

Dahoon,  198 

opaca,  198 

var.  myrtifolia,  198 
Indian  bean,  201 

hemp,  229 

physic,  188 

tobacco.  189 

turnip.  208 
Inula  Helenium,  177 
Ipecacuanha  spurge,  241 


Ipomoea  pandurata,  215 
Iridace/E,  270 
Iris  versicolor,  270 

Jamestown- weed,  219 
Jeffersonia  diphylla,  79 
Jessamine,  224 
Joe-Pye-weed,  172 
JUGLANBACE^,  248 
Juglans  cinerea,  248 
Juniper'.  261 
Juniperus,  261 

communis,  261 

Virginiana,  261 

Kalmia  angustifolia,  195 

latifolia.  194 
Knotweed,  286 

Labiate,  207 
Labrador  tea,  196 
Lady's  slipper.  266 
Lake-cress,  94 
Lamb-kill,  195 
Lamb's  quarters,  235 
Lappa  officinalis,  185 
Larch,  259 

Larix  Americana,  259 
Laurace^.  288 
Laur-1,  1^4 

magnolia,  71 
Leather- flower,  58 
Ledum  latifolium.  196 

]ialustre,  196 
Leguminos.e,  130 
Leonurus  Cardiaca,  215 
Lei)tandra  Virginica,  206 
Liatris,  170 

odoratissima,  170 

spicata,  170 
LiLiACE.^,  272 
Lily  of  the  valley,  275 
Linages,  108 
Lindera  Benzoin,  240 
Linum  usitatissimum,  109 
Liquid  ambar  Styraciflua,   146 
Liriodendron  Tulipifera,  73 
Liverwort,  61 
Lobelia,  189 

cardinalis;  189 

inflata,  189 

syphilitica,  189 
LOBELIACE^,  188 
Loblolly  pine,  256 
Locust  tree,  132 
LOGANIACE/E,  224 
Long-leaved  pine,  256 
Lycopgdiace/E,  283 
Lycopodium  clavatum,  283 
Lycopus,  209 

Europ^us,  209 

Virginicus,  2U9 

Macrotys  serpentaria,  68 
Magnolia,  71 


INDEX. 


289 


Magnolia  acumiuata,  72 

glauca,  71 

tripetdla,  72 

Umbrella,  73 
MAGNOLIACE.i:,  71 

Maidenhair.  277 
Male  fern,  379 
Mallow,  106 
Malvaceae,  104 
Malva  rotuu  lifolia,  106 
Mandrake,  80 
Man- of-the- earth,  215 
Marginal  shield-fern,  280 
Marrubium    vulgare,  214 
Marsh -cress,  94 
Marsh- mallow,  105 
Mai-sh-rosenaary,  200 
Marsh-tea,  196 
Marsh-trefoil.  223 
Maruta  cotula,  180 
Masterwort.  152 
May-apple,  SO 
May-rtovver,  193 
May-weed,  180 
Meadow-sweet,  137 
Melil-.t.  131) 
Melilotus,  130 

alba,   131 

officinalis,  130  '  '  - 

MenispermacExE,  75  ^ 

Menispermum  Canadense,  75 
Mentha,  207 

piperita,  208 

viridis,  208 
]\Ienyanthes  trifoliata,  223 
Milfoil,  181 
Milkweed,  230 
Milkwort,  128 
Mint,  207 

Mitchella  repens,  168  * 

Mouarda  pnuctata,  312 
Monocotvledonous  or  Endogenous  Plants, 

362 
Monopetalous  Exogenous  Plants,  161 
Monotropeaj.  190 
Moonseed,  75 
Morus  rubra,  244 
Motherwort.  315 
Mountain  laurel,  194 

miut,  210 
Mulberry.  244 
Mullein,  204 
Musquash  root,  153 
Mustard.  95 
Myricace.e.  250 
Myrica  cerifera,  250 

Nabalus  albus,  187 
Nasturtium.  93 

Armoracia,  93 

lacustre,  94 

officinale,  93 

pal  istre,  94 
Nepeta,  212 

Cataria,  213 
19 


Nepeta  Glechoma,  213 
Nettle.  344 
New  Jersey  tea,  133 
Nympii.eace.e,  83 
Nymphaea  odorata,  83 

Oak,  249 

Oenothera  biennis,  149 
Ohio  buckeye,  127 
Old-lield  piue,  356 
Uleace.e,  231 
Onagkace^,  148 
Orciiidace^,  266 

OliOBANCHACE^,  203 

Osmund  a  regalis,  380 
Oxahs,  114 

Acetosella,  114 

Btricta,  114 
Oxydendron  arboreum,  194 

Panax  quinquefoKum,  156 

Papaverace^.  86 

PAPI  LION  ACE  A<;,  130 

Pappoose  root,  79 

Partridge-berry,  168,  193 

Pasque-flower,  59 

Peunyroj'al,  311 

%pperiniut,  208 

Sirsinimon,  199 

Phajuogamous  Plants,  57 

Philadelphia  tleabane,  174 

Physalis,  217 

Alkekensi,  217 
Peunsyivauica.  217 

PHYTOLACCACEyE,  234 

Phytolacca  decandra,  334 
Pigeonberry,  234 
Pigweed,  235 
Pine,  256 
Pink-root,  227 
Pinus  australis,  256 

p((l>istris,  256 

Ta3da,  256 
Pipsissewa,  197 
Pitcher-plant,  84 
Pleurisy-root,  230 
Plum,  135 

Plumbaginace^,  200 
Podophyllum  peltatum,  80 
Poison  elder,  130 

hemlock,  154 

ivy,  119 

oak,  119 

sumac,  130 
Pokeweed,  334 
Polygala,  137 

poly  gam  a,  139 

Senega,  138 
Pot.ygalace^,  138 
polygonace.«,  336 
Polygonatum,  375 

bitiorum,  376 

giganteum,  376 
Polygonum,  336 

acre,  336 


290 


i:n^dex. 


Polycronum  Bistorta,  236 

ilydropiper,  38Ci 

iiunctatuin.  236 
Polypetalous  Exogenous  Plants,  57 
PolvDodium  vulgare,  277 
PoljTody,  277 
Poplar,  254 
Populus,  254 

balsamifera,  255 

var.  candicans,  255 

tremuloides,  254 
Potentilla  Canadensis,  140 
Prickly  ash,  115 
Prince's  pine,  197 
Prunus,  135 

Canadensis,  136 

serotina,  135 

Virginiana,  136 
Psoralea,  131 

esculenta,  131 

melilotoides,  131 
Ptelea  trifoliata,  116 
Pteris  aquilina,  278 
Pycnanthemum,  210 

incanum,  210 

linifolium,  210 
Pyrole.e,  190 

Queen's-root,  242 
Quercus  alba,  249 

Eag-vveed,  178 
Ranunculace^,  57 
Ranunculus,  61 

acris,  62 

bulbosus,  62 

repens,  62 

^pceleratus,  62 
Rasl!)berry,  142 
Rattlesuake-root,  187 
Eattle;^nake-weed,  186 
Rattlesnake's  master,  150 
Red  bane  berry,  69 

buckeye,  127 

cedar,  261 

elm,  243 

mulberry,  244 

raspberry,  143 
Red-root,  123 
Rhamnace^,  122 
Rhamnus,  122 

cathartica,  122 

Purshiana,  122 
Rheumatism-root,  79 
Rhus,  117 

copallina,  118 

diversiloba,  120 

glabra,  117 

pumila,  120 

Toxicodendron,  119 

typhina,  118 

venenata,  120 
Robinia  Pseudacacia,  132 
Rock  rose,  100 
Rosacea,  135 


Round-leaved  dogwood,  158 
RUBIACE^,  167 
Rubus,  141 

Canadensis,  141 

occidentalis,  142 

strigosus,  142 

trivialis,  142 

villosus,  141 
Rumex,  237 

aquaticus,  238 

crispus,  238 

orbiculatus,  238 
Running  blackberry,  141 
RUTACE^,  115 

Sabbatia  angularis,  221 
Sacred  bark,  122 
St.  John's-wort,  102 
Salicace^.  253 
Salix,  253 

alba,  254 
Sambucus  Canadensis,  163 
Sanguinaria  Canadensis,  86 
Sanicle,  150 
Sanicula  Marilandica,  150 

SAPINDACEyE,  126 
Saponaria  officinalis,  103 
Sarracenia,  84 

flava,  85 

purpurea,  84 

variola  ris,  85 
Sarraceniace/E,  84 
Sassafras  officinale,  239 
Saxifragace^:,  143 
Saxifrage.e,  144 
Scokeweed,  234 
Scolopendrium  vulgare,  279 
ScROPirui,ARiACE.«,  203 
Scrophularia  nodosa,  205 
Scutellaria  lateriflora,  213 
Sea  lavender,  200 
Seneca  snakeroot,  128 
Senecio  aureus,  184 
Senega,  128 
Serpentaria,  233 
Sheep-laurel,  195 
Sheep-sorrel,  114 
Shepherd's  purse,  96 
Shield -fern,  279 
Shrubby  trefoil,  116 
Shrub  yellow-root,  66 
Side-saddle  flower,  84 
Silene  Virginica,  104 
Silky  cornel,  158 
Sinapis  alba,  95 

nigra,  95 
Skullcap.  213 
Skunk  cabbage,  264 
Slippery  elm,  243 
Smartweed,  236 
Smooth  sumac,  117 
Sneeze-weed,  180 
Sonpwort.  103 

SOLANACE.E,  216 

Solanum  Dulcamara,  216 


INDEX. 


291 


Solidago  odora,  175 
Solomon's  seal,  275 
Sorrel -tree,  194 
Sour-wood,   194 
Spearmint,  208 
Speedwell,  206 
Spice-bush,  240 
Spigelia  Marilandica,  227 
Spikenard,  15(5 
Spindle-tree,  125 
Spiraja  tomentosa,  137 
Spleenwort,  278 
Spoon-wood,  194 
Spotted  cowbane,  153 

geranium,  110 

trumpet-leaf,  85 

winterirreen,  197 
Spruce,  2")7 
Spurg-e,  241 
Squaw-berry,  168 
Squaw-root,  68,  79,  203 
Squaw-weed,  184 
Squirrel  corn.  89 
Staff- tree.  124 
Staguer-bush,  198 
Sr.aghoni  sumac,  118 
Star-grass,  269 
Starwort,  274 
Statice  Liinonium,  200 
Steeplebush,  137 
Stillingia  sylvatica,  242 
Stone-root,  211 
Stramonium,  219 
Strawberry  tomato,  217 
Succory,  186 
Sumac,  117 
Sundew,  101 
Sunflower,  179 
Swamp  dogwood,  158 

milkweed,  230 

sassafras,  72 
Sweet  bay,  72 
Sweet  fern,  251 
Sweet-flag.  264 
Sweet-gum  tree,  146 
Sweet  Scabious,  174 
Symplocarpus  foetidus,  264 

Tacmahac.  255 
Tag  alder,  253 
Tamarack,  259 
Tanacetum  vulgare,  182 
Tansy,  1S2 

Taraxacum  Densleonis,  188 
Taxus  baccata,  var.  ( 'anadensis, 
Tea-berry,  192 
Tephrosia  Virginiana.  133 
Teucrium  Canadense,  2ij7 
Thiuibleberry,  142 
IVihispl  Bur-srt-postoris,  96 
Thorn- Apple,  219 
Thoroughwort.  172 
Three-leaved  nightshade,  272 
Thuja  occidentalis,  260 
Toothache-tree,  115 


262 


Trailing  arbutus,  193 

Trillium,  272 
erectum,  272 
grandiflorum.  272 

Triosteum  perfoliatum,  168 

Trumpet-leaf,  85 

Trumpet-weed,  173 

Tulip-tree,  73 

Turkey  corn,  89 
pea,  133 

Turtle-head,  205 

Tussilago  Farfara,  173 

Twin-leaf,  79 

Ulmus  fulva,  243 
Umbelliper.e,  149 
Umbrella-tree,  73 
Urtica,  244 

dioica,  245 

urens,  245 
Urticace^,  243 
Uva-ursi,  191 

Vacciniese,  190 
Vanilla-plant,  170 
Veratrum  viride,  273 
Verbascum  Thapsus,  204 
Verouica,  206 

officinalis,  207 

Virginica,  207 
Viburnum,  163 

Opulus,  164 

prunifolium,  164 
Viola,  98 

cucullata,  98 

pedata,  98 

tricolor,  98 
Vioi.ACE^:,  97 
Violet,  98 
Virginia  snakeroot,  333 

thyme,  210 
Virgin's-bower,  58 

Wahoo,  125 
Wake-robin,  273 
Walnut,  248 
Watches,  85 
Water  avens,  140 
Water-cress,  93 
Water-dock,  238 
Water-hemlock,  153 
!  Water-horehound,  209 
I  Water-lily,  83 
]  Water-pepper,  236 
j  Wax-myrtle,  2r)0 
White  baneberry,  70 

bav,  72 

cedar,  260 

lettuce,  187 

melilot.  131 

mu.stard,  95 

oak,  249 

willow.  254 
Wild  allspice.  240 

cranesbill,  110 


292 


INDEX. 


Wild  chamomile,  180 
cherry.  135 
ginger.  232 
hydrangea,  143 
indigo,  133 
ipecac,  162 
potato-vine,  215 
sarsaparilla,  156 

Willow.  253 

Willow-herb,  148 

Wind-flower,  59 

Winter  cherry,  217 

Wintergreen,  192 

Witch-hazel,  145 

Wood-sage,  207 

Wood- sorrel,  114 

Woody  bittersweet,  124 

Wormwood,  1^3 

Xanthorhiza  apiifolia,  66 


I  Xantho:cyh.im,  115 

Americanum,  115 
C(trolinianuin,  115 
Clava-Herculis,  115 
fraxineum,  115 

Yarrow,  181 
Yaupon,  198 
Yellow  cedar,  260 

dock,  238 

jessamine,  224 

lady's  slipper,  266 

melilot,  130 

parilla.   75 

pine,  256 

puccoon,  64 
Yellow-root.  64,  66 
Yellow  sarsaparilla,  75 

wood-sorrel,  114 
Yew,  262 


